It is easy to focus on the negative—the challenging nature of life can become overwhelming quickly. Although our culture does not have to be a utopia, it is better to celebrate the small yet positive acts that the students of Morris Hills conduct each week.
That is why the Morris Hills MVP award was created: as a way for students to gain recognition for their positive impacts upon the school’s community each week. During each week of school, starting from 8 a.m. on Monday until 8 a.m. on Friday, teachers have the ability to submit nominations for the MVP award. According to Mr. Melvin, who helps facilitate the award and makes the weekly Friday commencement announcement, any positive act counts for a nomination—such as helping another student or showing leadership in the classroom. 5 winners are decided randomly from the list of nominations on Friday morning.
Each of the 25 winners so far (as of the week of October 2) has received both a certificate for their achievement in addition to a Morris Hills MVP draw-string bag. Mr. Melvin describes receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback from faculty, students, and parents from this award, and envisions continuing this award in the future.