QPA Award Ceremony

Most would agree that receiving an award is the best way to know that your hard work has paid off. Whether at work or school, an award is an acknowledgement of one’s effort and dedication. 

On Wednesday, January 11th,  during period five,  Queens Preparatory Academy held its first Award Ceremony of the school year in the auditorium. The event was hosted and planned by  the administration, teachers and staff in order to come together as a community, and reinforce the practice of recognizing students for their dedication.

A significant number of students were honored during the ceremony. Even so, principal Tashon Haywood’s expectations for QPA students remain high. She believes they can be even better, now that they know what they need to do in order to maintain an excellent academic status.  

After the ceremony, we spoke with awards winners Blair Vales, Aaliyah Malik, Samantha Sanchez, and Olivia Paul, who shared that with organization and a work ethic, success is very much achievable. These students excel in all their classes, yet still believe they can improve. Moreover, they felt honored to be recognized for their achievements. 

Some students like Blair, were more passionate about their accomplishments than others. “Towards the end, I didn’t hear my name,” he confided. “I was feeling disappointed, like I hadn’t met the principal’s expectations. As the last  three people were about to be called, my heart was racing. Finally, I heard my name, and I was relieved.” 

Other students like Samantha and Aaliyah plan to continue working hard, coming to school everyday, and doing what they can to overcome the challenges they face along the way.

And Olivia? Well, let’s just say she just wants to keep being herself, and continue what she has been doing.

Some teachers, including Ms. Chin, believe that this event was great for boosting students’ morale and giving them the recognition they deserve. However, some teachers think we should incorporate more categories for our students, such as a ‘Most Improved’ award. In addition, Ms. Zaidi thinks there should be more student involvement in order for students to feel more included and empowered by their peers.

During our interview with Principal Haywood, she also brought to light what QPA values most: the importance of Community. “The intention of the award ceremony is to celebrate the achievements that we worked hard to attain,” she shared. “To come together as a community and motivate our young people to excel.” She also intends to raise awareness about improving attendance rates. 

Ms. Haywood also acknowledged that the COVID-19 pandemic and remote learning continues to have an impact on attendance rates, since it has affected students’ learning experience and changed their living conditions. However, she believes this will change as students adapt and continue to excel academically. She also intends to add more rewards for improvement and other features in our school, but for now, those changes are under wraps.