Students Play in School As Reward for Good Grades

By John Ferak, Omaha World-Herald, Neb.

Jan. 14–PLATTSMOUTH, Neb. — High school junior Kylie Parshall spent two days last week watching a half-dozen movies and playing board games — at school.

Classmate Justine Matthiessen, also a junior, spent those same days retaking chemistry tests and government exams.

It was part of Plattsmouth’s new two-day reward program. Students who earned A’s, B’s and C’s on their first-semester report cards — and did not have any discipline issues — got to have fun.

Those with D’s and F’s, not so much.

“Too often, awards are designed for only the top students, but the B and C students get left behind a lot,” said first-year Plattsmouth High School guidance counselor Jim Knierim.

“There are quite a few kids in our school who are content being D students. We figured this was a way to jump-start those kids to hopefully get better grades.”

Slightly more than half of Plattsmouth’s 575 high school students received dispensation from the normal class routine on Thursday and Friday last week. These students listened to motivational and career-day speakers. They met with 30 college admissions recruiters.

Above all, they had fun inside their high school building for two whole school days.

Teenagers gathered to play dodgeball and volleyball in the gym. Girls flocked to the chorus and band rooms to sing karaoke and dance to upbeat music.

On the other hand, about 280 students who earned D’s and F’s or had office referrals could not participate.

It was back to the books for them.

“This isn’t punishment,” said first-year principal Jeff Wiles. “This is two days of opportunities to retake tests, relearn concepts and get past blocks that prevented learning. We’re trying to create academic success.”

Josh Hicks, 17, a high school junior, said a low grade in Spanish II caused him to spend a day relearning some lessons.

He called the rewards program “a big motivation” to earn a better grade this coming semester.

“I know a lot of kids complained, but you have to look at it as a second opportunity to get your grades back up,” Hicks said.

Sophomore Terryn Martin, 15, said she worked tirelessly to earn a C grade in her geometry class. After reviewing her scores, school officials determined she made the necessary grade to participate in the fun.

“I wished we could do something like this more often,” she said. “It helps encourage students to keep their grades up, and it’s fun to get a break from learning all the time.”

Matthiessen, the junior student who had to hit the books, held no bitterness toward classmates or school officials.

“I think that deep down inside, it’s good for me,” she said. “I just hope I learn from this to get my grades up. Maybe the whole school will be able to participate next semester.”

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Copyright (c) 2007, Omaha World-Herald, Neb.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News.

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