HURON — Buchanan K-1 Center’s awards program allows first-graders to receive awards based on their academic and behavioral skills four times a year. During each quarter an assembly takes place where certain students are selected by their teachers to receive rewards in the areas of math, writing and reading, based on their performance during the quarter.
Principal Peggy Heinz said, “This is a big day for students who have been chosen for an award.”
The program has been in place since first grade moved to Buchanan approximately three years ago, and has been a fantastic source for motivation and positivity for the children and all involved.
Students are called up by the teachers to receive a certificate and an “Oscar” trophy for their achievements, as there is an ongoing movie theme for the awards. Students sit up front for pictures and confetti is thrown on them. “The first one of the year is always fun because they don’t know the confetti is coming,” Heinz said. Parents are invited as a fun surprise for the kids, and attend the awards ceremony without the students knowing their parents will be there.
The last awards assembly took place Wednesday, March 29, which was the third quarter assembly, where 58 students received rewards in different areas. Most of the time teachers will have two students per area in their class who are chosen.
Students also have the opportunity to receive awards based on their behavior, called “H.U.G.S.” which stands for “help others, use nice manners, good citizenship, and stay safe.” Each class works together to receive hug cards and once their allocated amount of cards has been reached an award is given to the class.
Another area for rewards is perfect attendance, where students are called to stand individually to be rewarded. The theme for attendance is “less than five” to encourage children to not miss more than five days a year. Principal Heinz will dress up as a fairy with a tutu, a fairy wand, and wings, to go through all 21 classrooms and give out rewards to students with exceptional attendance the last day of each month.
There are 239 first-graders currently with the opportunity to shine through the awards program. “The students work very hard for their awards, it’s an accomplishment for them and they are very proud of it,” Heinz said. “It is a positive way to award students for all their hard work.”
