To Be The Top Dawg: Attendance Required!

by Superintendent Robert "Bob" Lewandowski

As mentioned in other posts: attendance is a critical component for student success. For teaching and learning to be effective, students must attend school on a consistent basis. Coming to school is so important that St. Ignatius will be implementing several school policies and initiatives to improve student attendance. If our school is to improve student learning and meet state and national benchmarks it is imperative that we understand that every student counts.  Therefore our community must do what is necessary to make sure that every student, every day comes to school all day long. 

The District recently implemented an automatic phone notification for absent students as well as the “Good Morning” reminder for students that have reached critical levels of absence. In addition, we will be introducing the “Top Dawg Attendance” initiative.

The “Top Dawg Attendance” initiative will recognize students that have demonstrated consistent attendance goals.  In order for students to be the “Top Dawg” in school and in life, they must show up. This initiative focuses on one the foundations of success:  active participation. Students must be “consistently” present to be a “Top Dawg” in our school or any other. The initiative is set up to reward success at bench-marked levels so every student can be working toward a new attendance goal.

The initiative and its rewards are based on consistent days of attendance. For all students that have attended school for ten (10) days in a row, students will receive a “Top Dawg” silicone bracelet that says: “MISSION BULLDOGS – HCA BABY!” At twenty (20) days in a row, each student will receive a “Top Dawg” dog tag on a ball-linked chain with a blue camouflaged rubber silencer. At thirty (30) days in a row each student receives an additional “Top Dawg” dog tag with a red camouflaged rubber silencer. 

After thirty days,  achieving the following attendance benchmarks make student eligible for drawing the following: forty-five (45) days in a row, students are eligible for one of thirty (30) pizzas of choice at “Cornerstone;” at sixty (60) days in a row students are eligible for one of fifteen (15) twenty-five dollar gift certificates; at ninety (90) days in a row student are eligible for one of nine (9) bicycles; at one-hundred twenty (120) days in a row students are eligible for one of two (2) Kindle/Nook; at the end of the year, all students with perfect attendance (no absences of any kind) will receive a certificate and medal of achievement and are eligible for a fifty dollar gift certificate (one gift certificate for each elementary, middle and high school). Awards and drawings will take place at the end of each quarter at the K-12 Top Dawg Assemblies to be held in the gymnasium. 

This initiative and others are intended to help students succeed. We hope that you will support these initiatives and help get every student, every day to school all day long.

Thank you for your effort and contributions,

See you at the Mission Possible Parent Breakfast on November 7, 2011 in the Multi-Purpose Room starting at 7:30 AM and ending at 9:00 AM.