There should be a universal policy for recognizing achievements. This includes all Bay Port students such as musicians, club members, academic achievers, and athletes. Club leaders and advisors are often teachers from Bay Port, and these  teachers work rigorously to prepare their students for competitions. Once a group qualifies for a competition at the  state or national level, it is impressive and shows the dedication put into the activity.

It seems at this school that some programs get more attention than others. For example, when the wrestling team qualified for state last year, there was a schoolwide parade held for the team to congratulate the athletes. This tradition has been present for many years. This is not a universal practice Bay Port does for all students who achieve at such a high level. The Bay Port dance team qualified for state and there was almost no acknowledgement of the achievement.

When the football qualified for state in 2019, a large parent donation was made out to Bay Port for transportation for any students to go and see Bay Port compete in the State competition.

 Now I don’t think that money has to be given for achievements to be recognized. With that being said, it shows how some clubs or sports get an abundance of recognition. Whereas others don’t even get congratulated by staff or a simple post on Schoology. 

Many students at Bay Port have incredible talents beyond athletics such as debating, acting, and singing. Some clubs like DECA have received lots of support for qualifying for state in various ways such as social media posts, verbal and from classmates. This is great but it is not fair to students who worked just as hard and achieved just as high. 

Mock trial or One Act did not receive recognition for their accomplishment. Mock Trial qualified for state this year and One Act went to state last year and won every award possible – a feat that hasn’t been done in over 20 years. But there was not one single post about it.  These are just a few examples of the talent here at Bay Port who deserve to be congratulated on their achievements.

Simple gestures such as sharing an Instagram post or congratulating a member in class can lessen the problem. As a community, we should have a universal policy for recognizing achievements. Something as simple as a section in the weekly emails all staff and students receive or an announcement.