The families of the Babylon School District request that the "Panther Pride Award Program" be discontinued in the Babylon Grade School.

1. The "award ceremony" is a waste of valuable classroom time which SHOULD be used for academic instruction.  There is approximately 4 hours of instruction time each day.  If the Panther Pride takes one hour, 4 times per year, that's one whole day of instruction wasted. 

2. The criteria for the award varies from classroom to classroom. Some teachers give the award to the students who they believe emulate "good character" according to their own personal value system. Some teachers use a random system of selecting recipients e.g., picking names out of a hat.

3. The children know that in MOST classes, everyone in the class will eventually receive the award. The children who receive it last, or the few who actually do not receive it, are the children in need of positive recognition. The award becomes meaningless to the majority of children, but also becomes a NEGATIVE for the children in the school who need the most support.

4.The Panther Pride Award Ceremony is a difficult event for working parents to attend.

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