A new award, created by a teacher at Spackenkill High School, shows kids that achievement exists in more than just grades.

We see them everywhere: the world’s middle children. The kids who roam school hallways half-forgotten among overachievers, troublemakers, and varsity athletes. They are your children, sisters, brothers, friends, and neighbors; the kids who work hard and try their best, but whose efforts never seem to be enough to outshine those of the soccer stars and math whizzes. They’re the ones with the kindest words, the biggest hearts, and the brightest smiles even on their worst days, and there had never been an award to recognize how special these kids are until one local teacher made that very initiative her priority.

The Prism award, an honor given to recognize students with exceptional spirit and heart, was created by Teri Tucci, a ninth grade English and Special Education teacher at Spackenkill High School. After years of watching great kids with average grades and achievements pass through school under the radar, Tucci decided that it was time for these forgotten students to get the recognition that they deserved.

“I saw all of these really wonderful kids going unnoticed, and I felt this huge emptiness for them,” says Tucci. “The goal was to reach that middle group that’s neither the trouble makers or the honor students and show them that they are special, and that people recognize their greatness.”

The award isn’t given to just anybody. Tucci sends out notes to teachers in the beginning of the year asking them to nominate students based on a series of criteria. This list includes acts of valor and random kindness, compassion, humility, social responsibility, and outstanding personal achievement in adverse circumstances. These traits, Tucci emphasizes, are the characteristics that schools and parents should be promoting above all else.

Students have done myriad things to earn the award, including volunteering their time to help teachers and other students, participating in charity and advocacy events, standing up for peers who were being bullied, and overcoming a difficult family life to maintain a positive outlook.

Tucci chose the Prism award’s name because of the light that a prism reflects.

“Everyone has light inside of them, but these students choose to reflect that light and share it,” she explains. “This is something that should be cherished and honored.”

Tucci holds five award ceremonies each year in the Spackenkill auditorium with the help of Spackenkill Principal Paul Fanuele and the teachers who nominated the recipients. Several students are recognized at each event, and their entire families are invited to learn about what their kids did to earn the honor and watch them receive the stately glass prism statues that symbolize their achievement.

Tucci raises the money to fund the Prism award herself, spending much of her spare time fundraising and asking for help from local businesses (including the Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce, who always make a donation).

Tucci says that families are often moved to tears by the ceremony, but it is the students who get the most out of receiving the award. The stories are at once heartwarming and startling; several students have even mentioned that receiving a Prism award kept them from harming themselves out of hopelessness and depression.

“I know that Prism has made a difference, I see it every day,” Tucci asserts. “Some of these kids come from really hard situations, and to see their faces when they see how proud their families are is priceless. That’s a feeling you can never take away, and they will never be the same because of it.”

Over time, Tucci’s goal has grown to encompass not only Spackenkill but surrounding schools as well. She urges other districts to take on the Prism award and encourage their students to be the best people they can be.

“We all have the ability to be wonderful people, but some people choose to live it,” she continues. “That’s something that you can’t teach. These kids are our future leaders, they will one day be running our world and raising the next generation. It’s important that we nourish their kindness and good character.”

If you would like to contact Teri Tucci for information about bringing the Prism award to your district, email her at Teri.Tucci@spackenkillschools.org.

The Prism award needs sponsors to keep recognizing students with exceptional hearts and spirits. If you or your business would like to sponsor and present a Prism award, email Teri for more information.

blog comments powered by Disqus