YOU'RE A FAILURE!

[Duchess]

A school on the East Coast recently threw a party for A students, they had a DJ, pizza, dancing and games. Kids with less than an A grade were invited in only after the pizza and soda were served, they weren't entitled to it. Is this okay and only serves to inspire the other students to get good grades or would you be peeved if your kid was excluded?

[Donovan]

If it was spelled out that those grades were a condition and the party was free and voluntary I'd be okay with it but not make my child attend. If the attendance was mandatory or cost something, I would have a bigger problem with it.

[Cynical Ninja]

I think its ok for a school to reward good grades as opposed to everyone including the dimwits or lazy ass students.

[SIXFOOTERsez]

I don't see anything wrong with it. I never thought giving all the tards a reward was a good idea.

[sally]

I don't see anything wrong with it other than inviting the kids with less than A grades in after the pizza and soda. Why have them there at all? Why not just say the kids with an A grade are going to a pizza party and the rest of you will stay in class and do your work as usual? I'd be kind of annoyed if my child was forced to attend when he could be doing extra credit work to bring his grade up.

[cladking]

I think it's in bad taste to have a party with two classes of participants. A wedding and reception are two distinct events.

They should have invited only the A students.

[aussiefriend]

It has been proven that negative feedback does not work in children. The best way to achieve best results from children is positive reinforcement and positive messages. This was a clearly negative message from someone who is operating in a deficit themselves. They would have incurred my wrath if my child was made to feel in anyway inferior. I would have shoved a piece of that pizza up someone's ass. Not so special now asshole is it?

[ramseycat]

You're too PC Aussie. If we keep giving every kid a trophy, no one is going to work hard to win.

[aussiefriend]

I am basing my perspective on research and positive reinforcement has proven to have better results. That is not a 'trophy' statement that is being made, it is something else. It's elitist and these kids are 'better' and 'special' whereas the reality is, each kid is gifted in other areas. What if your child has special needs? It's not right and it's not academic either. It's ridiculous, and I would very much take the person to task that came up with that and beat them into submission until they gave in. I would make their life hell until they quit with their pizza gig.

I am very lucky, my child goes to a very loving school, there is nothing like that there, and there is a high standard of behaviour code that is expected from the pupils.

[Cynical Ninja]

Of course these days there are no dimwits or retards now are there? Its all dyslexia, ADHD, tourettes, aspergers etc. No one is just thick or dim are they? They have a condition, a malady that isn't there fault right? No ones kid can be just stupid right? Everyone is special and unique in their own way like a snowflake?

Bollocks.

[thekid65]

Perfectly fine with this, except for I would have done a bit differently. Would have made such an announcement at the beginning of the grading period that goes like this: "We're having a party at the end of this semester, all of those who get an A are invited for pizza 1 hour before the party starts, also, all of those who bring their grade up at lest one level from the previous grading period, are also invited to come early. Those of you that stay stagnant, or drop a level, are welcome to come to the dance, but no pizza will be provided."

Kids need to be taught that not everyone gets a trophy, but hard work, and effort will be rewarded....not only in school, but in life as well. That's a valuable lesson our children are not being taught nowadays.

[Duchess]

Kids need to be taught that not everyone gets a trophy, but hard work, and effort will be rewarded....not only in school, but in life as well. That's a valuable lesson our children are not being taught nowadays.

That's a great comment & one I agree with. Life isn't easy and it often requires hard work in order to be successful. Kids should be learning that early so it's not a rude awakening at some point down the road.

[HairOfTheDog]

I don't think not getting a reward for not hitting a mark is negative reinforcement.

I wouldn't mind about my kid not getting pizza and soda, nor would I care if she decided to go enjoy the music or instead preferred to hang out with some B and C students doing something else.

If my kid was somehow hurt by not getting the food (doubtful), I'd explain the concept and how it works. If I knew she'd done her best and we were hungry, we could grab some pizza (and talk it over more, if necessary).