Caught Being Good

Our school has a Caught Being Good Award where, as the Principal says, random acts of kindness & senseless beauty are rewarded. The children -one from each class- who are Caught Being Good receive a certificate and a book and get to stand up in front of the whole assembly. It took poor Climber until Grade 2 to win his first one, not because he is bad, (in fact the troublesome children are far more likely to receive these awards early on as an inducement to behave well in future) but because he was slipping under the radar... and possibly because his first 3 teachers' admin skills were not focussed on fair and equitable doling out of this award. I have to tell you that eventually -and I waited 2 and 3/4 years before I did so- I nagged someone about it and said Surely my child should have had one by now? And lo, next assembly he was "caught". In complete turn around, this year he was the first child in his grade to receive it, not because of any outstanding behavioural improvements, simply because his teacher rewards good behaviour with lollies and my sweet-toothed child was assiduously doing all sorts of helpful tasks for her. "Always helping clean up the classroom without being asked" the award stated, loosely translated to "will work for sugar".

The Cherub is far more front and centre where the radar is concerned and is also taught by a wonderful woman who I had every confidence would have a system for making sure everyone received one during the year. He is also far more inclined to notice if he is missing out on anything (second child syndrome?) so during the year he occasionally had a little weep and wail about how he NEVER got caught being good. (His brother on the other hand never seemed to notice.) I said Patience sweetie your time will come.

Today it did. My goodness he felt proud.


He was rewarded for being a "super star reader and always persisting with his work".

And I must tell you that when his name was called out he was observed to pump his fist. Yessss!