Planning for Year-End Celebrations for your Students!

We are now approaching the end of the school year. Here in Arizona, most schools are finished by Memorial Day. But in other parts of the country, it could be next month. May has always been a very busy month of closing the school year and preparing for the next one. Even if you are reading this in the summer, it will still be a great opportunity to reflect on last year and take some notes for next year. 

Last time, I talked about awards for both staff and students as part of Data Step 4. This is the time of the year when we are planning specific year-end ceremonies. So, let’s talk about that planning process specifically. 

A few key questions as you plan your end-of-year celebrations:

● Have you taken the time to review the impact of your year-end awards, ceremonies, and traditions on students? 

● Is it contributing to a positive climate? 

Most schools have an end-of-year event or ceremony to honor students' achievements. If it works for you and creates a positive climate for your students and staff, there is no need to change anything. The key question is “Have you reflected on the climate that your year-end awards and ceremonies create”? 

A piece of data that would be easy to collect and reflect on over the summer would be the number of students who received year-end awards in each classroom. When you look at that data, you can check if it is consistent from grade level to grade level and from teacher to teacher. If not, why not? This piece of data is important and rarely collected. I personally watched the negative impact of an awards ceremony on a family member, and I am passionate about making sure that it doesn’t happen to other children. 

Ten years ago, a family member of mine attended a mini-graduation ceremony at a K-5 school. She was a quiet child and that did not help her specially when she started schooling. However, she made tremendous growth and was excited to graduate. She was a “B” student, so her grades and achievement were not an issue. 

During the awards ceremony, every student received an award for something except her and one other student. Out of 27 students, two students were seemingly forgotten. After the ceremony, everyone decided to go home quietly and not complain. The leader and educator in me wanted to complain to that school leader and teacher, but I held my tongue out of respect for the family.

I asked her mom about it, and she was shocked too. I never found out the reason, but a “B” student, who was quiet with no discipline record is not the type of student you would picture in this position. I will never forget how devastated she was. She held her head high during that mini-graduation ceremony that followed the awards ceremony. Some might say that it was a 5th-grade graduation, and it doesn’t matter. 

It mattered to her as tears streamed down her face on the ride home. 

It matters when a handful of students are left out of recognition! 

The impact on her was so strong, that she didn’t want to go to the 8th grade graduation ceremony in fear of the same thing. She did not want to attend, and she was filled with anxiety a couple of weeks before. To reduce her stress, we supported her decision and had our own home celebration for her. 

Yes, this situation was extreme, but it was real. Now you may understand my passion for monitoring even awards ceremonies. I do not have the magic percentage, but if year-end student awards are given, please be aware of the feelings of those students who do not receive them and ask yourself, what did they accomplish this year? 

Look at the students who receive awards and those who do not. What is that percentage and do you recognize any patterns among those who do not achieve awards? This can be very important data. 

Do you have enough data points to demonstrate growth if students are struggling to reach the benchmark? Are ALL students moving forward? All students should grow after a year of being in your school! If not, it is time for data step 2, root cause analysis, and to ask why this is occurring. 

If you do not have realistic growth targets, a high-quality curriculum, and effective instruction to help students achieve their goals, it is not time to use your data goal for awards. It is time to commit to changing that for next year.

As a school leader, recognize those teachers and students who have worked hard, implemented strong practices, displayed significant growth and achieved their goals. You can give them a classroom award or award all students in the classroom. Even if one or two students did not meet their goal, did they put forth their best effort? Did they follow through on their part? That is behavior we want to celebrate! 

If students decide not to put forth any effort in achieving their goals, identify the reason for it. Do we know why they did not meet the goal? Do we have plans in place to support those students next year? Teachers who know their students well know the answers to these questions and continue to find ways to support these students. Again, if not, why not? Is there another root cause that needs a solution? 

Please do not create a situation with your data where a small number of students are not recognized. It is not motivating to those who struggle, and it can be devasting for them. Awards can be challenging to find the right balance, but if you reflect on the outcomes and the climate it creates in your school, you will find that balance. Reflecting on your classroom awards data is the first step. 

“Education is the key to success in life, and teachers make a lasting impact in the lives of their students.” –Solomon Ortiz.

Check back next week for more information on planning year-end celebrations for staff. 

If you are interested in more information or would like assistance with any of the 4 data steps request a FREE consultation, or call me. Fill in the Contact Form Link: https://debradurma.com/contact-us 

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