Praise Song for Hillsdale Academy

This morning I attended the opening ceremony for Hillsdale Academy lower school, where I am apprenticing this term. The order is as follows:

Pledge of Allegiance
Singing of "Simple Gifts"
Welcome by the Headmaster
Poetry recitation by a student
Announcement of sporting achievements (if any)
Other announcements. Today the headmaster (Dr. Calvert), along with his head-of-years, handed out certificates to all those students who had perfect attendance for their first 100 days at the Academy.
Headmaster's exhortation and dismissal.

I was forcefully struck by the power of this daily rite, and especially by the constant inspirational public acknowledgment of student success. In England there is next to NO celebration of success. In (equivalent of) 8th grade, I wrote a poem which my English teacher very much liked, and considered entering into an upcoming anthology of student poetry. However, it was decided that my poem wouldn't be entered, since no other students in MY year had suitable work. My sixth form (last two years of high-school) didn't even have a graduation ceremony. The students at the Academy, for this reason among others, are unusually excellent as I have seen personally.

I would merely criticize the constant grading and exams. I wish rather that we would copy the grammar-school custom of holding competitions and offering prizes and glory throughout the school year, in all sorts of subjects. This generally encourages hard work even in that most difficult demographic, the bored boys - study the youth of Winston Churchill.