Primary school "Star of the Week"

[littlemissmoomoo]

At my children's school, each class teacher picks a child who is"Star of the Week". The names are announced in the weekly newsletter. In assembly on a Friday the children all go up to the front and are given a chocolate medal. And the end of each half term all the chosen kids have a tea party (cake and juice) with the head teacher.

The same children seem to get picked all the time. I know this because I have 3 kids at the same school. One seems to get picked every 3 or 4 weeks, one has been picked 4 times this school year and one has only been picked the once.

I personally think each child should get picked once and then repeat throughout the year.

My child who has only been picked once gets upset every time one of his siblings gets picked.

How does it work at your kids schools?

you've taught primary over 35 years and that's how you judged the "non challenging" children?

Blimey, I totally believe that.

and you are spectacularly missing the point, which is that consistent and hard working children shouldn't miss out over the ..."spirited" ones but deserve their consistency, hard work and good behaviour to be acknowledged, not forgotten because they don't cause any problems. They deserve as much if not more incentive.

No one should be left out or unrewarded. I thought that was the point I was making.

not really no, you were just making very negative comments about the non-naughty children.

Totally believable from a Primary School teacher

Yet another adult who believes in predestination then; that there are the elect and the dammed, the sheep and the goats.
The naughty brats and the angelic poppets.
Not just children, in all their complexity and variety and fluctuating behaviours.
Let’s hope yours remain the right sort, as I fear you won’t cope well if they deviate from the path of righteousness.

yes dear, that's nice.

I find it very sad that words like 'brat', 'naughty' and 'little sod' are so freely used about such young children. Such phrases have such an old, 1970s feel: I am disappointed these actually abusive words are still casually bandied around today, when we've made such progress in recognising and making a crime of physical abuse disguised as corporal 'punishment' of children. I guess one day society will evolve

My dd is a happy, bright, keen to learn kid and does well at school on all levels.....but she's lucky to get SotW maybe once a year (I'm guessing because the teachers think "hang on a minute...Yerroblekid hasn't reveived it this year!")
The SotWs are al ways published on the newsletters and it's the same pupils again and again....the kids who's parents are school governors, on the PTA or the "naughty" kids, the chair-throwers (if they haven't kicked-off all week they get SotW)etc
Fortunately my dd understands that doing well in school is encouragement enough and because we as a family recognise her strengths and celebrate them, so she doesn't get too down about it. I've explained some kids need the little things rewarded and recognised as they may not be getting encouragement from other sources and it just might guide them back on the right track.
I can see why some of the good, eager-to-please kids get a little despondent by the system though and it could have a negative effect and lead to a "what's the point?" attitude.

My son asks 'why do they reward bad behaviour?' Interesting question son

Either that or the kids who parents have complained

Call me cynical but ten years of being at primary as a parent it is not meritocratic ime.

Roll on Secondary

Exactly Flicketyflack the kids soon wise up!

I hate hate hate star of the week.
Dd has never been star of the week. She knows there's not many weeks left of term and has been crying every week she doesn't get it.
She's never been in trouble, her teachers had only good things to say about her, she brings records of all her little triumphs in but has never got that slip of paper.
She appears to be one of the perpetually overlooked kids.
If I speak to the teachers I'll become one of 'those' parents won't I?

IhaveALooBrush

if your kid is little, of course you can talk to the teacher. Some are less organised than others.
It doesn't really matter, so why not try to cheer up a little one instead of putting them off school?

I like the idea of giving it to everybody once before choosing the kids on merit for the next round.

maybe don't mention your loo brush though

Yet another adult who believes in predestination then; that there are the elect and the dammed, the sheep and the goats.. Errrrmm that's a bit of a leap.. who has mentioned sheep and goats??
U ok hon???

@floraloctopus they say they can't help him any more.
I don't really see that it should be us that tells him because it's not us that wants him to leave. He doesn't want to leave, so if we say we want him to, we're the ones making him do something he doesn't want to do, and it's our fault.

My ds is one of those kids who the teacher doesnt naturally pick for the weekly award.

Pisses me off - he’s been labelled and can’t shake the label even though he tries.

Oh and he's 7.

drspouse I see what you mean but if you tell him then you are the ones who get to frame it so it's best for him rather than the school framing it how they want to.

I don't think we can make him want to leave though.

Ihavealoobrush, never be afraid of being seen as one of those parents.

Update: apparently despite DS thinking this is the case (and possibly other DCs), all children are not given the chance to be Star of the Week, there is also Citizen of the Week and DS has not been either in two years. Yet another arena in which he can never succeed.

Sorry, pressed post too soon.
We took him to see the possible new school. He liked it. But now we are nagging the LEA daily to find out if he has a place.

DDs school make sure each child gets it once a year. DD6, yr 1 and it's important to her.
She isn't a brat or naughty (teacher has confirmed), but she can be quiet - but this year & last year (reception) she has to wait until the very end of the school year - way after all the 'naughty' children and everyone else.
It upsets her that she hasn't had it yet, but she will this week and is so excited! It is important for them when they are so small - each of them have their own 'wins' within a school year, surely.

I think ours do it on a rota/favour the more challenging kids.
My dd who is as good as gold never had it in years. Last year, her teacher was off sick and the supply teacher chose her, different supply the following week also chose her lol. Nobody had ever had it twice in a row and never since, been tightened up since then. I was so proud of her as they were genuine choices rather than just her turn/little shit behaving for an hour

DS had a very bad start to the year but for example he's had weeks when he's done all his special tasks, when he's sat with other children for the first time in ages, etc. Lots of weeks that are real triumphs for him. But nothing.

My DS is probably what you call "a little shit". But some days he tries his absolute best.

I'm at an infant school and we have star if the week.

There's 39 weeks in the year and 39 children. All children will get the certificate once. The teacher had a list and marks down who has received it and often why. The other 9 may be a whole class award or a repeat for a child.

Ours get a certificate, name and citation in the Golden Book, name of social media, photo and citation on class blog and on the Star of the Week poster in the playground noticeboard. Photos depend on the child's photo permissions. Certificates are issued in a whole school celebration assembly on a Friday - teachers and children, no parents.