For the past three years, TVMS teachers and administrators have been awarding students with their Great Day to be a Tiger or GDTBAT recognitions. TVMS Assistant Principal Eric Eugenis is leading the charge, and encourages teachers to award their students when they witness them with great effort and great attitudes.

“The idea came from one of our teachers, Mardi Leist, who pointed out how many students we have that are doing awesome things at TVMS,” Eugenis said. “We meet with each grade level once every three weeks. Teachers get to have time to meet with their grade levels for teaming and this year we have organized it so that teachers can meet with their subject area. We then rotate through core subjects and grade level items.”

Eugenis said during these meetings, students are recognized with the Fighting Tiger, Tiger Stripe, or Tiger’s Paw awards.

“A Fighting Tiger award goes to students who give great effort and have great attitudes, and we ask teachers to nominate one student per class taught.,” Eugenis said. “A Tiger Stripe award goes to students who display great actions. If a teacher catches a student doing something like picking up after others, helping a peer, or turning something in that was lost, the teacher can award the student a Tiger Stripe. A Tiger’s Paw is new this year and was suggested by one of our teachers, Jennifer Verett.  Teachers get tickets to give to students who are meeting our campus expectations of being safe, respectful, or responsible. Students can take the ticket to the office and we keep the stub for a drawing at GDTBAT days.”

Eugenis said that recognition programs like GDTBAT help students know that they are seen and what they do, and how they do it, matters.

“GDTBAT is special because we are celebrating kids who are controlling what they can control,” Eugenis said. “Students that work hard, have a great attitude, and are routinely taking care of each other and our school need to be recognized.  Kids want to know that we see them and what they do matters!”