<p>My D is hands-down her head of house’s pet. In fact, the woman called me to tell me how much she is going to miss her “other daughter.” I wonder if/how that will translate. There is one award that my D really is qualified for, but another student is next-door neighbors with the department head who decides that one. We’ll see. I’m going to take the wisdom on this thread and not be upset no matter what.</p>
<p>Agree with Pizzagirl. All this ranting sounds like sour grapes. In 1 month (never mind 1 year or 10 years), no one will remember the HS awards. If they grant recognition to some kid who usually goes unrecognized, great. It is too bad that criteria are perhaps not clearly delineated or adhered to…but that is probably true of most forms of public recognition throughout life. Not getting the X Book Award or Scholar-Athlete isn’t going to keep an outstanding kid from accomplishing great things. It seems to me that the kids know what’s up and who deserves what, and that we (parents) should follow kids’ lead and keep this in perspective. Yes, I realize this thread is intended to let off steam, but maybe less steam should be generated about this in the first place.</p>
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Or perhaps you could choose not to read any threads which bother you enough to be nasty to other posters.</p>
<p>Zooser, never intended to be nasty…au contraire, seems to me there’s a little bit of meanness running through this thread and CC is a place I come to and think of as a very supportive community. I was only suggesting that things be kept in perspective. HS Awards are just that: HS Awards. Sorry if my post stepped on your toes somehow. Not meant to.</p>
<p>Maybe I’d also feel a little better about what happened if we hadn’t had to PAY for the privilege of watching our D receive nothing. They may be “silly high school awards” but to give them the school rents out a banquet hall, the kids must don semi-formal wear, and they charge the parents $45 for their dinner.</p>
<p>I see your point in theory, mom111, but in this instance, a specific poster and her daughter have had their feelings hurt. And looking at the spefics, fair-minded people should be able to see that. Is it the most important thing in the world? No, but do we need to pile on here?</p>
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<p>Yikes!!!</p>
<p>Sorry to just be getting back. I haven’t read every post in this thread – not even close. I’m reacting to posts in relation to the title about senior awards, which have no impact on college admissions at all.</p>
<p>$45 a head???!! Wow.</p>
<p>We have a situation similar to theGFG, but they are not scholarships, rather for “awards”. Those who are not getting an award/recognition are not invited, I guess for the reasons that theGFG stated. If my kid were invited for $45, but was not going to receive an award, I would not pay 45, or multiples of 45 for other family members! BTW, for us the cost is not exactly 45, but close enough. Actually it is more expensive for us, bc the price is per parent!!! Students go at “no charge”.</p>
<p>Scholarships are awarded during the school day, and only the parents of those students are invited to attend. The names of those students are read again during graduation, which I think can make students who did not receive a scholarship feel terrible at a time that they should feel wonderful about their achievement of a high school diploma.</p>
<p>That was $45 a head, not $45 for both parents together. That’s why I only sent DH. Student was free, though.</p>
<p>Our high school awards ceremonies are sounding better and better by comparison. For underclassmen, the kids and parents only go if receiving something. There is an award for every class if the teacher wants to give it. So the student acing Math Models or Recordkeeping or Health will receive the same recognition as the student who aced APUSH. There no “best [athlete/scholar athlete/student]” award. Anything like that is given out at the banquet for that activity.</p>
<p>Before the senior awards banquet they ask everyone to fill out a form listing all merit aid they’ve received. They honor those students, plus those receiving military academy appointments, plus the Top 20 GPA students. </p>
<p>The only thing that is kind of weird is that any college can come and give their merit aid awards in person. Of course, almost none of them do. I think last year reps from TCU and Arkansas came, so those kids were called up front for a special presenation, which was only made because their reps attended the ceremony.</p>
<p>$90 for 2 parents to attend, WOW! If grandparents or sibs want to go, it gets really out of hand!</p>
<p>Also, I’m not sure why expecting to receive an award you believe you are qualified to receive equates with some negative connotation of “entitled.” If you’re a student who has objectively excelled in your sport all four years, been identified by top Div. 1 schools as having excelled, and there are some 50 awards being given out at an athletic awards ceremony, why is it mean-spirited or spoiled to expect that you’d receive at least one of them–especially after watching less accomplished (remember, it’s a stopwatch sport) members of your own team getting athletic achievement awards?</p>
<p>I just wanted to share a positive experience. My son is a very quiet, highly accomplished student and athlete. He is so quiet that most of his teachers don’t know he is there. For the past four years, he has been quietly excelling. Well he found out the other day that he is the Scholar of Scholars for his class (4.8 GPA) and he just received the “Purusing Victory with Honor Award” for the male athlete from his high school. This athletic award meant a great deal because it not only honored his athletic success but his character. As one teacher put it, my son is “the type of student you don’t see until you see what he has done.” For four years he has been overlooked. He never received any achievement awards. He would look at me and say “What do I have to do to get some recognition.” I just told him to keep working hard, continue to be humble and the rest would take care of itself (all the while silently wondering if I was right.) I can’t tell you how special it was for my son to FINALLY</p>
<p>OOOPSSS… be recognized for his efforts. It really did all work out in the end. Just wanted to share a positive experience about the whole awards deal…</p>
<p>That story brings tears to my eyes!</p>
<p>It actually really brought tears to my eyes. It truly did. He gets a special plaque at his senior awards ceremony next Tuesday. For an entire year, the kid behind him told him he didn’t stand a chance for Scholar of Scholars, that he would be passed up. Jim told me he was going for his own “personal scholar of scholars.” I think the best compliment to him came from all of his classmates who were so happy that the “normal and nice guy” won the award. What a year it has been for him. So take heart. Sometimes nice kids do finish first! :-)</p>
<p>Oh, the best part is he came out of his shell. He is talking and socializing for the first time ever. I think he was so quiet because he was always the youngest in his classes. He’s gone from never saying a word to taking a homecoming princess to Prom. Hahaha. I still can’t believe that one!</p>
<p>momfirst3, congratulations on that wonderful young man! It must be so wonderful to see others take note of what you’ve surely known all along!</p>
<p>Thank you. It is. He’s my youngest and I will tell you one thing… I’m going to need dark glasses at graduation watching him give his speech in front of thousands (his class has 772 students). Thank heavens for dark glasses…</p>