Missing School to Punish, and to Reward

BACK IN THE DAY, Thanksgiving vacation was Thursday and Friday, and the weekend. Nowadays a lot of schools take Wednesday off, some even have a whole week break. An administrative assistant at one middle school explained to me that students with good grades and behavior are allowed to take off for Thanksgving a day early, as a reward for teh good grades and behavior. I thought about this for minute, then, it occured to me that my client, the fifteen year old student I work with,is suspended from school for bad behavior, as a punishment. Forced to missed a day of school as punishment for bad behavior. So, having the student miss school days is used by the school as both a reward and as a punishment. Is there any way that this makes sense, that a reward and a punishment can be the same thing? Is it possilbe? On the surface, upon quick reflection, seemingly, it is not possible. Then, upon deeper consideration, it still remains dubious. If it is an effective punishment, how can it be a good rreward? I really think the kid I work with enjoys getting to spend an extra day at home for acting out at school. Why not? At home he can eat all he wants, watch anything on television or paly any video game he wants, and just lay around, doing nothing all day, rather than spending the day being forced to cooperate, and obey authority. It is remotely possible that American societly is a culture in which punishment and reward are held in much too high esteem as tools of shaping behavior.