If your DC got some amazing award from out of school

[CURIOUSMIND]

Some really amazing award,such as high standard certificate, trophies from competition, medal, etc.

Parents, would you allow your DC to take them to school?
Teachers, how would you react and what would you do?

AS a parent I would definitely allow it and the school encourage it by having achievement assemblies and getting a mention in the HT's newsletter.

It is a shame your DS's teacher hasn't done anything although she seemed to be encouraging in the beginning from what you say. Being generous to her, do you think there is just so much going on as they approach the end of term that she hasn't been able to do anything?

Maybe she has forgotten. Do you have a homelink book to write her a message? Maybe you should ask for the trophy back and hopefully it might jog her memory. Apart from that I don't think you can force her to acknowledge it but it is a real shame if she doesn't.

Well, seeker, if she forgot, perhaps the correct response would have been, "oh, I'm so sorry, I forgot! There's so much going on at this time of year (which is true) we will show this at assembly on (insert day)"

OR

"thank you for bringing this in. CuriousChild has done very well. You must be very proud of him. But, it is school policy not to announce out of school achievements in assembly/show and tell/newsletters."

Personally, I would be extremely proud, & would make it very clear to DS that that was the case.

Its probably likely at this time of year that it may have been forgotten about as there is so much else going on.

I would possibly make a call to the school office, or even a wee visit to check that they are aware of it as its such a busy time.

Our school do the praise assembly on a Friday morning. The children take in any awards that they've achieved and the same praise recognition is given to the 5m swimming badge to the trophy from the national ballroom dancing competition.

Curiousmind I think the mistake was to take it in on the Monday. Our children are told to take them in on the Friday morning.

Curoiusmind- it really does sound like a cock up- I would go in on Monday and have a word with th teacher. I bet what happened is she put it safe in hr cupboard, waiting for the next assembly, then just completely forgot about it.

She shouldn't have- but these things happen.

Did you ask for it to be presented at assembly? Perhaps she thought you were just bringing it in to show her?

She HAD to have forgotten....it is very odd and I would be cross too! You did nothing wrong in taking it in! I would have taken it too!

Please don't feel humiliated or embarrassed, CURIOUS, cross and let down maybe, but not humiliated. Whether they have forgotten or decided not to 'show and tell' for whatever rediculous reason, they should have spoken to you about it by now. If they've been given back to bring home, surely they weren't forgotten, it would be at that stage I would expect the teacher to
(out of pure embarrassment and feeling bad for your ds) say 'oh, we will do this first thing on Monday'

This is made even more upsetting by the fact that he isn't the type of kid who brings something in every week and expects an audience. How does he feel? If he's a bit meh, then at least it's just you that feels bad! I know it's not right, but if he's heartbroken about it I would definatley speak to the teacher. Hope it's sorted out and well done littlecurious x

The dd's are at a school where they have "achievement assembly" once a week.

I'm not sure it's really working. Dd1 (year 6)won't take anything in because "everyone laughs if you go up" and I was present at one of dd2's where the conversation went like this:
Girl. about age 9yo stands up with a impressive medal.
Head: That looks fantastic. How did you win that?
Girl: Go cart racing
Head: Wow! That must be so fun. Is this the first time you've got one.
Girl: Yes.
Head: The first time is so special
Head: So do you do a lot of go cart racing.
Girl: No it was my first time.
Head: First time! Wow! You must be good.
Girl: It was at XX party.
Head: And you came first in the race. That's brilliant!
Girl: No I was 6th. We all got one...
Head: Well that's still really well done. Lets applaud her

Kudos to the head for managing to make the little girl feel special and carrying it off.

Dd2 asked in all seriousness a few weeks later if she could take something she'd won at a pass the parcel...

Urk, how should you feel? Stoic, & Just gently pursue, I guess. A lot of what happens at school is Improvised, it's not that perfectly planned at all.

DD achieved highest swimming distance badge. I had to ask 3x in the office for it to get mentioned in the fortnightly newsletter: 1) they forgot 2) they got the distance wrong (10x too small) 3) they finally got the distance right.

I do the "well done, aren't you amazing" at hometime, but it does take a lot to avoid it spiralling into children bringing something "amazing" to show every day and we just don't have the time... it can become:
Child "I've got something special to show"
Me "That's great, let's show the class"
Child "This is the picture I drew at breakfast (in two minutes flat) "
... then other children want to show the picture, a medal they got in their new shoes, a stone they found on the way to school ... etc

Not saying special things like swimming, dancing, karate, music, drama or brownie / cubs badges and certificates or awards shouldn't be recognised and applauded in schools, it just can spiral and eat up valuable teaching time.

Hi Curious:

Our school has something called the roll of honour where any child can report whatever achievement - and it has included everything being filmed by CBBC and certificates for participation in library run reading competitions to sports awards.

The school does take the view that children enjoy recognition of their achievements - especially if they're outside of school organised events.

HTH

Handmadetail, Well said!Whichever you described is perfectly undertandable, acceptable, isn't it?
I asked my Ds1 to take it home on Friday afternoon.He went back to the teacher ,asked ,and she said that's fine!So, I don't think she forgot it .

Impossible dream, Maybe we should take them in on Friday, as we know they do star award on Friday. Did it on Monday, only because the competition is last Friday, they knew he left school earlier for that. Anyway, Yesterday, Friday, they did star awards with nothing to do with my Ds1.

Abigails, I really understand teachers are too busy to deal with extra special bits and bobs. So, only did this for the first time .I am very sure this is truly worth to show.

To everybody, parents and teachers, thank you for making me feel better.

Thank you for being on my side with good reason.

I am going to write a letter to Head.He knows my two children very well.I will update you all.

I like the idea of a roll of honour. I'd like parents / children to self report their achievements, then the teacher / HT can decide whether a quick well done in class is appropriate (for the lovely picture completed at breafast!) or a whole school assembly "come out the front and tell everyone all about it" response is needed. It also means no confusion of expectation and forgetting by staff.

My DCs were high achievers music-wise but their primary school ethos was to encourage the average kids to try harder. So assemblies would have shout-outs to child x who had just passed Grade 2 in music for example whereas DC2's Grade 5 Distinction in music theory never got a public mention. When DC1 got a scholarship to a UK Top 20 indie you would think that it would get a mention in the school newsletter. The following year DC2 got a scholarship too and you would think that siblings from such a small school both getting a scholarship would get a public mention. But nope.

Emotionally we were initially put out by the school's lack of interest but in time we accepted that this was the way some schools operated.

I kind of understand the school's thinking. DCs teachers, bar one, saw us as pushy parents so to them an 'average' child that pushed themselves to achieve a Grade 2 is more worthy of celebration.

Ha I was waiting for the story of your Dc. In secondary I really would not have done it as they are just so busy. In primary with one teacher different.

She will have forgotten and then when asked for them back will have just handed them over assuming that you wanted them back at home.

I would have just said 'poor Mrs Smith, she's run ragged with your class, she must have forgotten so we will take them in on Friday this week'

Did you ask her about them at the end of the week?
If taken in earlier in week we ask children to either bring them back on Friday for the assembly or to let us keep them safe in a cupboard (their choice). But we sometimes need a reminder on the Friday - lots happen over the week, and forgetting can happen, human nature and all that. Mind, our children are younger so tend to remind us daily anyway.

I don't think you've been pushy enough - when handing over trophy I would be saying "so what time would you like me to be in to hear his achievment mentioned" - and I'd be sitting in the back of that assembly clapping wildy.

None of this "it doesn't matter if school care" - no child is going to swallow that, we all need to feel special and your child deserve a harty clap - as much as the little tykes who will be getting clapped for making it through 10mins of sitting on the mat nicely without kicking your mate.

Get back to the school - steer right round the teacher making a be-line for the Head and don't leave until you've a date, time and invitation to tea and buns after the clapping ceremony.

If it's a smallish thing teachers might forgot .But will somebody forget about THIS?(I didn't take Ds1's grade 5 theory distinction certificate to school and will not take his Grade 6 certificate to school .) They are using their cupboard daily, will see the trophies there as a reminder? When my Ds1 went to ask teacher to take it home, on the playground, she said that's fine. If she forgot it, she can say that, ask me to bring it back at certain time again, then I wouldn't think there's any problem.
The only possible theory is APMY's theory.
I will find out.

Please go and talk about it, curious. Her initial resonse does not chime with any of the "conspiracy" theories. Far more likely that it is a cock up.

Please talk to the teacher before you go to the Head though.

Curiousmind - go and speak to the teacher. It is she who has forgotten and she deserves a chance to sort it out rather than rushing straight to tell tales to her boss (who will, I would lay money on it, roll her eyes and pass the problem back to the teacher).

This award is obviously very important to you your DS but you need to understand that it isn't as important to everyone else, particularly non-musical folk who won't know the significance. I am sure the school will give your DS lots of praise and recognition when the certificate makes it into assembly. This is a simple mistake by the teacher being blown into epic proportions. Take it in on the right day, ask your DS to remind the teacher before the assembly (if you think he will remember - my dc probably wouldn't!) and get on with your life.

What everyone else is saying !
Simple - the teacher put it safe in the stockroom until the Friday assembly, then forgot on the Friday morning, and assumed (when asked for it back on the Friday night) you didn't want it left in school over the weekend.
There's no need to blow it out of proportion, just say to ds - Oh, Mrs X forgot this week, it might be better if you take it in with you on Friday morning next week, so it gets remembered. End of.

Our school has an Achievement Assembly every Monday morning. It is when certain pupils are awarded their 'star of the week' certificates. It is when the school sports / maths / chess teams stand up and get applauded should they have taken part in a a fixture / match / competition in the previous week. And any pupil who has received a certificate / award for an out-of-school activity brings it in and is allowed to come to the front and show it.

This term dd has brought and shown the dog show certificate she won with our dog at a charity dog show (highly commended best rescue dog) and the level 3 diving certificate she gained through her diving club.