When school is in session we have a general assembly on Fridays at 8:30 a.m. Twenty-two classes line up with their teachers. Each teacher has selected a Student of The Week and a Super Reader of The Week from their room.
I ask all of the Super Readers to come up. I walk down the line of students. I shake the hand of each student, say a few words of congratulations and present them with a red Super Reader Ribbon. ( Super Reader is printed on the ribbon.)
Then the Students of The Week come up. One student from each class. Student of The Week is on these blue ribbons. I walk down the line. I present each student with their ribbon and shake their hand. I say a few words of praise to each student.
On Thursday afternoon these students were told they would receive a ribbon on Friday morning. They were encouraged to invite their parents. Many parents attend.
After the award ceremony the parents are invited in to the cafeteria for a short meeting. As I conclude the meeting I invite the parents to pick a number from one to fifty.The number is hidden somewhere in the room. After they have each made their guess I expose the number. The person who guesses the number or the number closest to it receives a cash reward ranging in amount from $5 to $10. The money comes out of my pocket. Oddly one grandfather picks wins about once a month. He is now known as Mister Lucky. The parents think this is great fun. Grandpa is thrilled.
Each teacher has filled out a Super Reader form and a Student of The Week form explaining why the student was selected. The teachers are encouraged to go in to detail as to why the students were selected.
I take the forms home. Over the weekend I call the parents of these 44 children. I read to them what the teacher has written about their child.
The parents and their child are thrilled. Imagine, the principal called on the weekend with very specific praise for their child. Each week school is in session 44 sets of parents go to sleep thinking good things about their child's teacher, the school and the principal.
If the parents don't speak English I have an employee who speaks the parents dominant language make the call. What if no one answers the phone? We call until we get an answer. We keep a record of the date and time each call is made. Occasionally it takes four or five calls to reach a parent or relative. If it seems we will not reach a parent by phone we send a detailed letter via US mail.
The children and their parents are thrilled. The teachers benefit in that they have had a positive interaction with the parents and the children they serve. The teachers realize the principal is, to some degree, burnishing their reputation.
Let’s do the math. The parents and/or caregivers of 44 children have received good news. They realize the good news was received off the clock. Their child is in a school that cares. This is part of the reason the school was named A California Distinguished School the first year the state presented the award.