Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Wednesday, February 7, 2007

ARVIAT - Staff members at Qitiqliq middle school in Arviat have increased their efforts to recognize academic achievement this school year.

The school has revitalized its honour-role program, with students sporting an 80 per cent grade average or above attending a special luncheon at Inns North.

School principal Rob Davies says it is hoped the reward for making the honour role will encourage more students to work harder to improve their grades.

He says the first true indication of whether the initiative is working will come when report cards are issued next month.

"I'm a real believer in students working hard, sticking to the rules and adhering to the structure of the school," says Davies.

"But there is also a time for students to play hard and have their hard work recognized. A couple of kids did lament the fact they were so close to making the first honour role, so that bodes well for their efforts this time.

"It was nice to hear a few of them mention they would strive to make the list this term, but I can't say if that's indicative of the entire student body as this point."

Qitiqliq holds an assembly each month to recognize its top student, as well as those leading the way in attendance.

Honour-role students are now also included in the assembly lineup.

Davies says staff members are fully supportive of the program. He says they've always made a point of rewarding students for good behaviour and all-around citizenship.

"We're really concentrating our efforts on the good points we see within the school this year.

"We have a program running that has teachers handing out tokens to students for positive accomplishments.

"They bring the token to the office and every week we pull out two or three names and the winners receive a school toque or T-shirt.

"It's a good incentive program that the kids have really bought into."

Davies says Qitiqliq has a strict discipline policy that students are expected to follow. He says while the positives do outweigh the negatives this year, there is room for improvement.

"We still struggle to get students, and parents, to understand the benefits of being to school on time and showing up prepared to work.

"We'd like to see parents, students, our district education authority and school staff all work together to make that happen. But, we don't want to focus on the negatives.

"We want to show the students there's positive rewards waiting when things go well."