By:John Borrelli
Last week, students at Malverne's Howard T. Herber Middle School learned that it pays to help make their school a better place to learn and grow. Payment was received at the Gold Slip awards presentation in the form of cameras, Palm Pilots and computers. The Gold Slip program has been in place for a few years at Herber in Malverne. But this year, under the supervision of Assistant Principal Errin Hatwood, it has flourished, encouraging students to become actively involved in their school and in the way they relate to teachers, staff, and their fellow students.
Students receive redeemable gold slips for such things as assisting teachers, doing volunteer work, attending extra help classes, exhibiting exemplary behavior, or committing random acts of kindness. Slips can be turned in every two weeks or saved for bigger rewards.
Hatwood, a St. John's graduate who came to Herber in November, notes that the program has encouraged healthy competition at the school. An athlete himself, he sees such competition as having a positive effect. "Passive students get more involved. The program encourages them to talk in class.
"This is a student-centered program. It has been run by students. They have put in a lot of hours to make the program work," Hatwood said. During homeroom, student volunteers have collected slips and kept records of exactly how many each student has accumulated.
At a time when parents and the taxpaying public are looking for schools to do more, the Gold Slip program is encouraging students to become responsible, caring members of their community. "We are recognizing them for doing good things," Hatwood said, noting that when he arrived at Herber there was "a lot of negativity" among students.
That has certainly changed, he said. "Parents have to do right by their children, but parents have less and less time to spend with their kids." Hatwood said programs like this enhance "the culture of the school."
And that school culture encompasses more than just students and teachers. Everyone at Herber is part of the community, as evidenced by the award given to security guard Homer Alexis. He was named most influential staff member at the school, and received the only standing ovation of the day.
At the awards presentation, students from each grade received a computer and printer as first prize; a Palm Pilot as second prize, and a camera as third prize. Every student who helped run the program was recognized for his or her efforts as well.
Herber Principal Sharon McCabe said that the greatest benefit of the program is "the sense of community, the sense of family it has created" at the school.
