Program incentive to make the grade

Making the honour roll at Fort High could pay off–literally.
A group of students in the Honour Society is canvassing local businesses to participate in an academic recognition program at the high school.
Melanie Halvorsen, a grade 11 student, said the idea was brought up to students by teacher Marnie Cumming.
“It’s a program where people receive a card where they receive discounts at participating merchants,” Halvorsen said. “You have to be on the honour roll two out of four times during the year [to be eligible].”
To make the honour roll at Fort High, a student has to maintain an 80 percent average or higher. And Halvorsen stressed all students, not just the ones taking advanced courses, would be accepted in the recognition program.
“It’s for all levels of students who worked really hard,” she said.
Fort High already holds a recognition night for its students but Halvorsen noted most of the awards that night go towards athletics as opposed to academics.
The card would be a much more tangible form of recognition, she added, and might even inspire some students to work harder on their grades.
“It’s something to strive for,” she reasoned. “Something beyond getting your name in the paper.”
A similar program already exists at the high school in International Falls. Halvorsen said they hoped to have the program up and running by September, making this year’s group of honour roll students the first recipients of the card.
Although the students have just begun approaching local businesses, the recognition program already has been endorsed by the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce.
“It was a unanimous vote,” Halvorsen said. “They were very friendly about it and thought it was a good idea.”
Chamber president Bruce Lidkea hoped local businesses will get behind this program 100 percent.
“When I was president of the Fort Frances High School Honour Society, it would have been a great idea then and it’s a great idea now,” he said.
“It’s something we can see results from,” he added. “Any incentive to get a kid better grades is worth it.”