Citizenship Award

When I was a little girl, I was very, very shy. I was terrified of getting in trouble in school and was polite and well behaved to a fault. I had also been sick with tonsillitis from about the age of two and therefore missed quite a bit of school up until 5th grade when I had those horrible, useless things yanked out. This meant that I very rarely received the coveted Perfect Attendance award on awards night. I unfailingly got the award for Honor Roll, but that attendance award mocked me. I did always get another award that I didn't really understand. The Citizenship Award. This confused me because I understood what a citizen was from civics lessons but I didn't understand how it applied in the elementary school setting and why some students earned it but others did not. Weren't we all citizens?

I didn't actually learn the significance of the Citizenship Award until 5th grade graduation. Our school was K-5, so this was a big ceremony for us. I'd been out of school for a few weeks, recovering from the tonsillectomy and had even missed field day- my favorite day of the year due to the fact that my best friend and I were really freaking good at the 3-legged race.

After the surgery and post-op checkup, my doctor gave me the green light to attend the graduation ceremony, which was exciting because I'd practiced really hard and knew all of the lyrics to the song that the 5th grade chorus was performing. Here's the one... only imagine it with a hundred 5th graders in fluorescent green t-shirts and early 90s hairstyles:

Oh wait, yeah, the hairstyles were just like that. We really rocked the side-step, clap, side-step, clap dance moves.

When it was time for awards, we had to cross the stage, shake hands with the principal who gave us our diplomas, and have our picture taken. I was never shy when I was singing or dancing on stage, but it was absolutely mortifying to walk across and shake hands with the principal. Then to have to go up twice more for the Honor Roll trophy and then the Citizenship trophy. By the time we gathered outside for fruit punch and tetherball, I was exhausted.

The teachers were all mingling with the parents, trying futilely to escape the 110 degree Florida heat under the awnings while the students chased each other around the giant caterpillar climbing apparatus on the playground. I wasn't really up to snuff yet, so I just stood awkwardly with my parents and some of the teachers. I asked my third grade teacher about the Citizenship Award and she told me that it was for "exemplary behavior in the classroom and for being a role model for other students". I remember her words well because she had been my favorite teacher and was Swedish and had a lovely accent. She will live forever in my memory as she had appeared in our darkened classroom, dressed as Santa Lucia with a wreath of candles on her head for our 3rd grade Christmas party.

I was no longer upset about the elusive Perfect Attendance award. I had been given a beautiful purple and gold trophy, topped with a majestic eagle for a solid 5 years worth of exemplary behavior. My name was etched on the base. The trophy sat next to its Honor Roll sibling on my bedroom shelf for years. I discovered them again recently in a box of childhood treasures that had found their way to my grandmother's attic room and I smiled, remembering that day. The bright sun, the sticky heat, the sweet lilting voice of my teacher, "exemplary behavior".

Citizenship is an important subject. One that is often overlooked, replaced by the hard push for higher test scores. I don't "grade" my son's work yet, but I do reward good citizenship. He has recently begun collecting mini Thomas trains that come in little plastic blind bags. The anticipation of what is hidden inside is so exciting for him. I add to his collection whenever he shows some random kindness, or works uncomplainingly on a task, or whenever he reminds me about acts of compassion- great and small. It isn't often that something like a little plastic toy train reminds us to be good citizens to one another, and to teach these values to our children, but it's a crazy life and I'll take any reminder that I can get.