It's the phone call every parent actually wants to get, but what's the message?



GERMANTOWN -- It's the phone call every parent actually wants to get. Who is on the other end -- and what's the message?

The long walk to the assistant principal's office is usually not one many middle schoolers look forward to making. The situation has all the markings of an uncomfortable conversation.

"Well, come on in, have a seat once. It's important business we're doing here today," said Mark Kaminski, assistant principal at Kennedy Middle School in Germantown.

And that's the moment when Kaminski throws that student a curve ball.

"I'd like to call your parents about what a great job you're doing," said Kaminski.

This is Kaminski's Friday ritual. Instead of picking up the phone to report a problem or tell parents of a sick student, he calls simply to say...

"Talking about Zach and what a terrific job that he's doing," said Kaminski.

Each week, the Kennedy Middle School staff selects eight kids out of a student body of about 900 to be on the receiving end of the honor.

"We really enjoy that he does it. It's instead of always having phone calls that come home being negative, it's a nice change," said teacher Heather Janke. "Because the kids, they're smiling when they get to go down and get that phone call and home knows that they're doing what they should be at school and they can feel proud."

The phone call is something Kaminski does -- simply because he can.

"I realize that sometimes you have to go out of your way to make somebody's day," said Kaminski.

Kaminski says this is something he and the school's teachers have been doing for many years. Often times, it's a new experience for the parents on the receiving end.

Kennedy Middle School, Germantown