Recognition shouldn’t be rare—or reserved for a select few. We sit down with social studies teacher and Olean parent Joelle Perry to share how a homegrown honor roll celebration turned quiet effort into visible pride, grew participation to hundreds of students, and set a new standard for academic culture at Olean High School.
Joelle traces the spark back to middle school traditions and a candid post-observation chat that asked, “What could we do better?” The answer became a three-times-a-year celebration that blends heartfelt teacher tributes with irresistible incentives: a warm breakfast of home fries, bacon, and local donuts for early honorees, and a third-marking-period push for high honors capped by an extreme ice cream sundae buffet. Along the way, we talk about why students need to hear “we see you,” how naming specific behaviors—late-night study sessions, thoughtful questions, attendance, and steady participation—builds trust, and why the high honor threshold of 92 percent turns momentum into mastery.
This conversation is packed with practical details for educators and families: how to scale recognition without losing authenticity, how logistics and timing support learning, and how to frame excellence as a reachable challenge. Joelle’s message to students is clear and empowering: want excellence, plan the work, ask for help early, and bring the same effort to every class to become a whole student whose habits travel beyond the building. We also shout out the leaders who helped fund and champion the program, proving that budgets can reflect values when the goal is to celebrate achievement and raise expectations.
If you care about school culture, student motivation, and sustainable ways to honor academic excellence, this is your roadmap and a morale boost rolled into one. Subscribe, share with a colleague or parent, and leave a review telling us your best recognition idea—we might feature it next time.
