A Principal's Award - something to aspire to

I ran into one of my favourite Dads in the chemist the other day. He told me how his daughter was so rapt that she was awarded the Book Week Principal's Award for reading. He said she had never had had one before and was so happy. (I know this little girl really well and I know the reading award was well and truly earned - she is one of the most avid readers we have in the school.)

Then a week or so later all the classes were doing an exercise about the capabilities they wanted to achieve by the end of Year 6. Little Chuneve in Year 2 'just wants to be able to get a Principal's Award.'

It's amazing how much weight that little gold sticker carries and the importance some children attach to it. They are a bit special. I give them out when effort and achievement goes hand in hand and children demonstrate the power of their learning. Obviously I'm not there every time this happens throughout our school - I'd go through packets of the things if that was the case! But I keep them in my drawer and kids know they really mean something. This is the point of an award - recognition and attention for learning and effort - and the knowledge that it's been earned and not just given out with no meaning attached.

Now that I look at these stickers - they are very pretty. I would have loved one as a kid!