The Great Scholarship Chase

There was a time at Maple Grove School, a school that was awash with kids who were curious and lots of chaotic There was an uproar regarding a special award. It wasn't a normal prize. It was called the Super Scholar Surprise--a prize so legendary, rumors about it were circulated throughout the year at every school. It was said that it would give winners "Golden Homework Pass" (meaning that they would be able to skip school all month long!) and also a trip Fun World. Other people claimed that it came with an intimate pizza dinner with the school principal!

The announcement was made through the speaker on a Monday early in the morning.

"Attention All students! The Super Scholar Competition for Surprise Scholarships is open! The scholarship will be awarded to the student with creativity by helping other students in the their school. Have a great time!"

Students were shocked.

"What's 'creative ingenuity'?" said Bobby to his close friend Sam.

"Beats me," replied Sam. "But I want that pizza party with Principal Plum!"

All week long, kids tried to determine what this meant. Did it help students with math assignments? Doing the opening for an instructor? Maybe carrying food trays to the staff in the cafeteria? Everybody had their own theories.

Meet the Contenders

Of all the students Three stood out among them: Lily, Max, and Jimmy. Lily was considered to be the smartest of them all. She always solved mysteries and solving puzzles. Max was a champion in sports constantly imagining strategies to beat opponents. Jimmy was a school clown, prankster and when there was a mishap there was mischief, Jimmy would be in the middle but he didn't mean anything wrong.

Every one of them had their eyes on the prize however, each of them had a distinct view of the meaning of "creative ingenuity" meant.

Lily's Plan: Operation Bookworm Buddy

Lily realized that helping other students study is the most effective method to show off her skills. Lily started the "Homework Helpers Club" at break and welcomed all students who were in need of help. The group became so popular, it soon became a throng of students seeking help with everything from spelling to fractions!

A few hours later it was a bit of a mess. Jimmy typically abstained from school activities during recess was found in the Homework Helpers tent.

"I need help," the man said, and appeared like he was taking a serious look.

Lily was somewhat curious. "With what?" she inquired with a bit of trepidation.

"Long division," Jimmy replied.

Lily continued for fifteen minutes describing lengthy division to Jimmy whom appeared to be attentive, at the very least, until he began drawing an image of a pirate vessel on the worksheet.

"Hey! It's your job to learn!" she scolded him.

Jimmy smiled. "I'm creatively... illustrating the solution!"

Lily was not amused. Jimmy left with a huge thumbs up for "creative ingenuity." She'd need to up her game in order to be successful.

Max's Plan: The Game of Kindness

Max was inspired to start the "kindness competition" where each participant had to complete at least one nice thing every day. When a person finished one "kindness point," they were awarded a star. When week, the person who had the highest number of stars will receive a unique award Max constructed from strings and foil.

The program was very successful in the beginning. Max maintained a scoreboard within the hallway and everybody wanted the stars. However, on Wednesday, the situation were a surprise.

Max observed Jimmy at the edge of the scoreboard staring at stars beside his name. There were a lot of stars!

"Hey! It's not possible to give you five stars!" Max exclaimed.

"But I opened the door for Ms. Grump the other day," Jimmy tried to appear innocent.

"That was last week!" Max was furious.

Jimmy turned his head. "Better to be late rather than never. What is it that creative genius is all about?"

Max turned his head and was determined to not let Jimmy's off-color antics ruin his chances.

Jimmy's Plan: The Hilarious Help-Out

Jimmy was, however, determined to live life his way. Although he may not be the greatest in sports or math However, he was a talent for making people smile. Thus, he started "Help Out Humor" where humorous jokes were told for anyone who was feeling depressed. He believed that laughter is an effective method of helping people in need.

Jimmy's jokes were wildly loved. Principal Plum laughed when he was told Jimmy's tale of the dog that learned how to use math ("It's beautiful rough !"). Jimmy also drew funny cartoons on lockers, which made everyone smile every single day.

The biggest issue? Sometimes, his jokes went way too in the wrong direction. One Friday, he hidden the toy that squeaked under Ms. Grump's seat in the classroom. After she settled down, and heard the toy's squeak and she almost jumped off her chair!

"Jimmy!" she bellowed and tried to not smile. "How is this helping anyone?"

"Creative ingenuity!" Jimmy responded with a smile.

The Award Day

The day finally came to reveal winners of the Super Scholar Surprise. Students were in the auditorium excited to announce the winner. The principal Plum stood on the podium, staring at the many excited faces.

"This year's Super Scholar Surprise goes to ..." he paused, smiling as he glanced down at the three finalists, "... Jimmy!"

The people exclaimed with delight. Even Jimmy looked stunned.

"Wait... me? "I... I'm the winner?" he asked.

Principal Plum smiled. "Yes, Jimmy! You've displayed a extraordinary level of ingenuity and creativity by uplifting everyone's mood every day. Sometimes, helping people is about making them laugh, by bringing them happiness."

Jimmy's eyes glowed. He could not believe his eyes. The Super Scholar was a winner! Winner of the Surprise!

The crowd cheered when he stood up to accept his award. Principal Plum presented him with a gold "Homework Pass," a glittering medal, as well as tickets for Fun World. In addition, as stated, he was treated to an entire pizza dinner, complete with every possible topping including pepperoni and chocolate gummies!

The Lesson Learned

After they had all enjoyed the pizza feast, Jimmy, Lily, and Max took a moment to reflect on their weeks' events. They realized that although they all had their own abilities, their efforts to help others could be a variety of ways.

Lily smiled and said, "You know, Jimmy, I thought you were just messing around, but you actually did make everyone feel happier."

Max also added "Yeah, and that's what helping is all about, isn't it?"

Jimmy smiled as he took the full bite of his pizza gummy bear. "Yep! I may not be great with math or sports However, I certainly can entertain people!"

The next day, Maple Grove School learned that each student had something unique to share. For Jimmy was concerned, he realized was the right man for the job. He became the official school's "Ambassador of Laughter and Fun," and a scholar prize that proved it!