The Olympics have officially started in Italy, but students at Parsons Elementary School in Decatur had their own medal ceremony to celebrate.

DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - The Olympics have officially started in Italy, but kids in central Illinois are celebrating in their own way. Students at Parsons Elementary School in Decatur had their own medal ceremony. 

Instead of receiving medals for skiing, skating, or other winter sports, students got medals for academic achievement. 

"This is our race to success medal ceremony," said Parson's principal, Holly Kitson. "Our scholars earn medals based on their growth for our mid-year assessment that measures all of our students' growth." 

Students got bronze, silver, or gold medals, based on their growth in math or reading. They also received medals for overall excellence, based on the proficiency percentile compared to national numbers. 

The elementary students cheered loudly as classmates and friends were given their medals. Families were also welcome to attend to celebrate their student's success. 

"I got three gold medals for reading and math,'" said sixth grader Ka'rynn Hill. "I placed really high, and I'm really glad. I studied really hard to get good grades on my stuff." 

Kitson said it was amazing to see students' eyes light up when they received their medals. She was happy to see students who had previously struggled to stay focused on educational projects achieve academic excellence. 

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