Following a firestorm of criticism, Cole Middle School administrators announced Tuesday afternoon that honors night would proceed as in past years.
“We have been in contact with many members of the community who have shared feedback about our decision to recognize and celebrate student excellence by individuals and teams in a team-based event during school hours,” read an email that went out to parents and signed by Principal Alexis Meyer and Vice Principal Dan Seger. “In light of our conversations, we have decided to honor excellence as we had planned, but at a traditional evening event.”
Parents learned that honors night would not be held in an email Friday afternoon.
“Honors Night has been a longstanding tradition in our community – one that was created in the Cole Junior High School era. Members of the school community have long expressed concerns related to the exclusive nature of Honors Night,” that email read. “Therefore, we have made the collective decision to recognize students during team-based recognition ceremonies and graduation. This will afford us the opportunity to celebrate the individual and collective successes of all students and their effort, progress, and excellence.”
Many parents expressed their frustration, including this parent, who asked to remain anonymous.
“I was shocked to read about it. It’s really disappointing that our schools would express their values in this way,” the woman said. She noted she still had her academic trophies from when she was a student at Cole.
She was particularly disappointed that there would still be an ceremony to celebrate Cole varsity athletes “at an after school ceremony.”
Meyer and Seger, in the email that went out Tuesday, acknowledged the uproar caused by the cancellation.
“In retrospect, our original communication would have benefited from more clarity regarding the change in the format for honoring student excellence,” read the email. “We are exceedingly proud of the outstanding achievements of Cole students and obviously had no intention of failing to acknowledge and celebrate exemplary student accomplishment in its many forms. Rather, our intention was to create a venue where all kids who meet the high expectations that we set for them are recognized and celebrated in a manner consistent with our core values about student learning and performance. Cole Middle School’s long-standing tradition of high expectations and high performance remains the cornerstone upon which we will continue to encourage student learning and achievement.”
Honors Night will take place on an evening in June. No date has yet been set.
Join our email list and get the daily newsletter. Contact [email protected]. Like EG News on Facebook here. Follow us @egreenwichnews.
Subscribe
Meyer and Seger need to resign.
” Members of the school community have long expressed concerns related to the exclusive nature of Honors Night,””
Name them.
Honestly what a stupid statement. The whole thing could have been avoided if the parent who was originally upset had gone to the administration instead of jumping to the wrong conclusion. I’ve had kids go through that school and it was awesome.