Terrific Kids - Questions and Answers
What is the best way to approach the elementary school about sponsoring Terrific Kids?
Many Kiwanis clubs present Terrific Kids information after members volunteer at the school and help with projects. This is a great way to build a relationship with staff—and students—so when club members approach the principal about establishing a Terrific Kids program he or she is more receptive. (Remember to order the Kiwanis Kids Introductory Kit to use when presenting the idea.)
If the school principal says the school district’s superintendent needs to approve the program, see if you can schedule a meeting. In all likelihood, the superintendent will see the benefits of Terrific Kids and may even ask the club to make a presentation to all elementary school principals in the district. Make sure your club has the resources and volunteers to do this if the opportunity arises. If you need additional help providing programs to various schools in the district contact Kiwanis, Key Club and Circle K clubs in your area. Any of these Kiwanis-family clubs can sponsor a Bring Up Grades program in a school.
Educate Parent Teacher Organization members about the program
A key for obtaining support for Terrific Kids is the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) at the school. Make them a presentation to win their support.
After the principal and parent-teacher organization have welcomed you, you’re ready to start the program. Go online to order the Terrific Kids program kit or call the Kiwanis International Office toll free at 800-2647, ext. 411.
How do we approach a business sponsor about supporting the program at the school?
After you receive a commitment from your club members and the school, it’s time to seek a local business sponsor. The Kiwanis Kids promotional brochure comes in handy when speaking with the business sponsor. Explain how students receive recognition for academic achievement. Talk about the recognition party and how you envision the sponsor offering assistance. Provide options for providing support. The business sponsor might want to provide giveaways such as coupons or actual store promotional items that can be used as gifts. The sponsor may choose to provide funding or actual food for the recognition party.
Give the business sponsor an idea of how often students will be recognized and how the club intends to publicize the program.
Promoting the business sponsor
Provide examples of how the business sponsor’s name will be promoted. Options Include:
• Ordering personalized bumper stickers with the sponsor’s name from Kiwanis International. Every child honored with the Terrific Kids award will give the bumper sticker to his or her parents, who will display the bumper sticker on one of the family cars.
• Display the business sponsor’s name on the Terrific Kids bulletin board, in the school’s newsletter, on the school’s Web site and in the school’s yearbook. Include information in news releases sent to local media.
• Order Terrific Kids T-shirts and have a local T-shirt shop personalize the T-shirts with the business sponsor’s name on the back.
School staff may have ideas about businesses they would like to partner with, or the PTO may have suggestions.
It’s a good idea to research which businesses provide special funding for community service. A quick Web site search should provide this information. These businesses might be more inclined to provide support.
How should we thank business sponsors?
Send a special thank-you note to your business sponsor. You might ask the latest group of Terrific Kids recipients to create thank-you cards and send them out.
When sending news releases to local media about Bring Up Grades, always mention the business sponsor’s name. If the news release is published in the newspaper, send a copy of the newspaper article with a thank-you note to the business sponsor.
Invite the business sponsor to a special school ceremony to say thank you. Present the business sponsor with a gift. You can order fun, affordable gifts from the Kiwanis Family Store.
Take photos of the event. Photos can be embellished and used as gifts. For example, ask Terrific Kids recipients to sign the photograph or photograph border, put it in a frame and present it to a sponsor as a personalized gift.
Educating students about the Terrific Kids program
It’s important to educate participating students about the Terrific Kids program and how everyone has a chance to be recognized. Explain the concept of establishing a goal and achieving the goal. Also explain that if a group of students do not achieve their goals they have an opportunity to work toward a new goal during the next goal-setting period.
There is an information sheet on the Terrific Kids Resource CD that can be printed from a computer, copied and given to students so they can share information with parents. Parent brochures are also available from Kiwanis International to distribute to participating students. A PowerPoint presentation is also available on the resource CD and can be used to explain the Terrific Kids program and what is expected from program participants.
Educating students about the program helps them understand that everyone has an opportunity to achieve this recognition. It’s up to each student to establish a realistic achievable goal in order to be successful. There are also alternative ways to present the program that are discussed in more detail in this information sheet.
A PowerPoint presentaion to educate Terrific Kids Program participants is included in the Kiwanis Service Leadership Programs Sponsorship Toolkit.
Do you have suggestions regarding goals students should establish to participate in Terrific kids?
Goals depend on the behavior the child is interested in changing.
Here are goals other students have established. Remember, students compete against themselves, not one another. When establishing goals with students suggest they identify “SMART” goals. SMART is an acronym for: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely.
Goal examples:
I will raise my hand and quietly wait to be selected.
I will put my book back on the proper shelf after the class reading session.
I will return my library books to the school library before the late date.
I will learn my multiplication tables for 1 through 5 by _____ date.
I will clean my area after the arts and crafts session.
I will talk in class only when being called-on by the teacher.
I will arrive to class on time everyday.
I will bring my books and homework to school every day.
I will not push my classmates when angry.
I will keep my hands to my self and not bother my classmates.
* Any specific goal that is achievable and measurable will work.
Here is an example of how a teacher might work with students to establish goals:
Explain the concept of establishing a goal to the students within the classroom. Distribute a 3 x 5 index card to each student. Ask each student to write a goal they want to achieve within the next _____ weeks. Explain to the students that the goals will be displayed on a poster board at the front of the room. Each student will see what other students are working toward and students are encouraged to help one another achieve their goals.
Sharing goals in this way helps students see that everyone faces challenges they need assistance in overcoming. One student might struggle with turning in homework on time, while another struggles with arriving to class on time. The group should work as a team to help everyone achieve their goals. Using this strategy will assist volunteers teach students the Terrific Kids traits. This team work strategy reflects the following Terrific Kids traits - (Thoughtful, Inclusive, Friendly, and Capable).
What are the benefits in starting a Terrific Kids program?
Students enjoy participating in goal setting to improve and, as a result, are motivated to improve.
Teachers believe that students participate more frequently and that behavior in class improves. Parents report a positive change regarding willingness to assist with tasks at home.
The program provides an opportunity for teachers to recognize students that may not normally receive recognition.
It's important to recognize students for legitimate reasons, or student won't feel the praise is deserved or sincere. The Terrific Kids program provides a concrete reason to offer recognition.
What if a student doesn’t achieve his or her goal?
When a goal is not met, the teacher should sit down and talk with the student about difficulties that prevented success. Then the teacher and student should make a list of what can be done differently during the next three weeks to accomplish the original goal. (This would be the perfect time to talk about the importance of perseverance.) If the teacher and student find that the goal was unrealistic, the goal should be changed. The key is to provide the student with a positive learning experience as a result of failing at a task. Rather than focusing on failing, the student focuses on what he/she can change in order to be successful.
If the teacher finds goal identification to be an issue when working with a specific class the Terrific Kids program can be altered to accomplish the same goal, but students are honored for achieving the goal of learning the Terrific Kids character traits.
Terrific Kids with a twist!
Create a chart listing the Terrific Kids character traits (Thoughtful, Enthusiastic, Respectful, Responsible, Inclusive, Friendly, Inquisitive, Capable) at the top of the chart and list student names to the left of the chart.
Each student is challenged with the goal of learning the Terrific Kids character traits. Students can focus on learning a character trait each month and focus on conducting an activity related to that character trait each week. Examples include reading a book about the character trait one week. Write a story about how someone might demonstrate this character trait the next week, draw a picture depicting how you could demonstrate this character trait at school and at home.
One character trait can be reviewed each month or each week. (Additional resources are offered on the Kiwanis Kids resource CD providing activities a teacher or Kiwanis family club volunteer can use to teach students about the Terrific Kids character traits.)
A star is placed next to each character trait as the student learns about the trait. After stars are next to all the character traits listed next to the student’s name the student is honored as a Terrific Kid.
Please reveiw the Guide TK Program Guide for a more complete program description.
Please submit questions and comments about conducting the Terrific Kids program--and success stories—to lpyron@kiwanis.org.