BRIGHTON — Pemayetv Emahakv students were rewarded for excellence in reading, writing and arithmetic, along with Creek, culture and citizenship, at the Charter School’s third nine weeks awards program March 31.

“I’m proud to see all these honor roll students,” said principal Brian Greseth. “These grades are earned, not given.”

One by one, students received their awards, shook Greseth’s hand and beamed proudly for their parents.

Eighth-grader Layne Thomas, 13, earned several awards, including silver honor roll (grade point average 3.5-3.9), effort in Creek and effort in academics. Earning the awards helps him gauge his academic progress.

“It tells me I should keep it up,” Thomas said. “I want to make it to college. I really want to have a better life by going to college.”

The school holds the program four times during the year to celebrate students’ work and encourage them to keep doing their best.

“The awards affect students in different ways,” Greseth said. “Some of them strive to get the awards. Once they are in seventh and eighth grades they are still proud of what they have done but feel funny about getting up in front of their peers.”

Greseth also credited parents who encourage their children and help them practice Creek at home.

“Practice with the language helps solidify it,” he said. “The more they use it, the more they will keep it. These awards don’t just go to the students; they also go to the parents for the hard work [they] do.”