School Board member Clarence Triche jokes that it’s bribery. In truth, it’s a legit form of congratulations from the business community to all honor students in St. John the Baptist Parish Public Schools.

Dubbed the Gold and Silver Card Award Program, the effort awards each student who finishes the nine-weeks grading period with either all As or As and Bs. Triche said students from first through 12th grades are eligible.

Students with all As receive a Gold card, and the A-B students receive a Silver card. The card can be redeemed at one of 61 businesses in St. John Parish for discounts and freebees.

“It depends on the merchant,” Triche said. “Each one of the merchants may do something different. Some give freebies, some give discounts. We do not tell the merchants what to do. They do whatever they feel like, as long as they give the kids a pat on the back and some praise for doing well.”

It’s a simple but wonderful idea that all stakeholders should be proud of — from local businesses to those in the School District.

Most importantly, the program offers tangible proof to students that this community cares. There is a theory that most students meet the expectations authority figures set out for them.

This program clearly defines a reward for young people to achieve while uniting so many different aspects of our community.

Triche said it was a program he ran two decades ago and was happy to start again with some prompting by fellow School Board members. He has already seen what having the cards meant to previous students.

The veteran School Board member said when he pitched Domino’s on joining the reward program, the young man in charge locally was quick to champion the idea because he used to have a card while a student in St. John.

“He got on the telephone and called (corporate) and he said, ‘we want it,’” Triche said, recalling the pitch earlier this year. “He called corporate, and they just said, ‘do it.’ Then he said, ‘you know, I spent four years in high school and I got the gold card all four years. I still remember the 25-percent discount I got at Sonic on my ice cream cones.’

“This was quite a few years back, but when he saw this, it’s what came to his mind. He remembers that because that is where he stopped everyday after school to get his ice cream cones.”

The 61 participating businesses represent a cross-section of options for students to enjoy, from 31 restaurants to 15 stores, nine hair and nail locations and a few listed as miscellaneous.

“All of these people give something a little extra,” Triche said. “The big thing is most of the kids today need some kind of incentive to do well. I’ve had one child in the past that had (the card) the first nine-weeks grading session, didn’t make it the second session and was so upset that the next grading session he made all As.”

Emily C. Watkins Elementary Principal Toni Robinet has been in the school system 31 years and remembers the first time the District issued Gold and Silver cards.

She and her staff always try to accentuate the positive and celebrate the successes.

Recognizing students in the community for what they accomplish in school is a huge incentive.

“You know, it makes the kids feel special to walk in with a student version of a credit card, because they made As and Bs,” she said. “They feel proud to be able to hold those cards.”

The first nine weeks ended Oct. 9, and the program has already kicked off for those schools that have gotten Triche their honor roll numbers.

“It is major deal that our community businesses are giving back to the schools,” Robinet said. “It is showing them that they hold education on a very high level.

“They are willing to reward good work. I feel very fortunate to have so many of our merchants helping us here on the school level. It gives the kids yet another incentive that the community is paying attention to what they do in school.”

Stephen Hemelt is publisher and editor of L’OBSERVATEUR. He can be reached at 985-652-9545 or stephen.hemelt@lobservateur.com.