CUB PRIDE PARTY

The gym at North Pines Middle School was packed during a special assembly last week as students were recognized for staying out of trouble and passing their classes.

“You are here because you’ve earned that,” Principal Gordon Grassi said to the roughly 375 children gathered – a good portion of the school’s 489 students.

Grassi and his staff launched a new Cub Pride program at the beginning of the school year. Students get fun assemblies each month, special events, trips and the opportunity to win prizes. To qualify, students must have no suspensions, no Fs, no unexcused absences and no more than five tardies. At the end of each trimester each student gets a clean slate. Attendance at the monthly assembly has grown since the beginning of the school year, Grassi said. “They have a great time.”

Last week’s gathering included a special performance by the Central Valley High School Drum Corps, which kept the students’ attention with fancy footwork and pounding drums that made the room vibrate. The Science Olympiad team was recognized, as were the Spelling Bee champions. They all received certificates and large candy bars. The teacher and student of the month were announced, as were the two winners of a Sprit Backpack full of prizes and the Athlete of the Season.

All of the prizes are provided by Horizon Credit Union, which has been partnering with the school for two years with the Junior Achievement program and Cub Pride. The company was recognized during the assembly with the presentation of a banner to company representative Josh Allison. “Thank you guys for appreciating us appreciating you,” he said. “We’re so thankful to be in this building and contributing to your success.”

A new part of the assembly was the “Gonzaga Stomp,” the constant bouncing the red-shirted Gonzaga University Kennel Club does during basketball games. The sixth- and seventh-graders jumped up and down enthusiastically, making the bleachers sway, while the eighth-graders largely stood and watched. “Some of the eighth-graders are being cool,” Grassi said. “But if you look at their feet you can see a little movement.”

Students who can’t attend the assemblies are given study hall. The monthly assemblies have grown so popular that in the past students who didn’t qualify for the Cub Pride program were caught trying to sneak in, Grassi said. “That’s when we knew we were on the right track.”

The program started because school staff wanted to recognize kids who are doing well. “We want our citizens to see our kids for what they are,” Grassi said. “We’re really proud of our kids.”

With the partnership with Horizon, the program has been able to expand. One of Grassi’s new projects is to give out Cub Pride clings for parents to put in their car windows. “I can’t say enough about Horizon,” Grassi said.

Teachers talk up the Cub Pride program whenever they can. “Every trimester it rolls over, so it gives kids a chance,” Grassi said. “It also has raised school spirit. It really has made a difference in the school climate. It’s gone far beyond what I had hoped for the first year.”