Hollister
– While some students may be dreaming about cutting class and
escaping to the beach as summer draws near, San Benito High School
educators are looking to recognize the few and the proud who show
up to school day after day, but they need some help from the
community to do so.
Hollister – While some students may be dreaming about cutting class and escaping to the beach as summer draws near, San Benito High School educators are looking to recognize the few and the proud who show up to school day after day, but they need some help from the community to do so.
“It’s so important for our kids to go to school, so when they really make an effort to be there every day they deserve some recognition,” said Shelly Maupin, SBHS Support Manager.
Each year SBHS recognizes students who have maintained perfect attendance for one semester or the entire school year at one large ceremony in the spring where they are awarded with a certificate and several small gifts. Typically the district relies on the kindness of local business owners to donate gift certificates or other fun items for the students being honored. However, only seven have stepped up to the plate so far – Tip N’ Toe Salon, Papa Murphy’s Pizza, Speedee Oil Change and Tune Up, West Marine, World Savings Home Loan, Radioshack and Ridgemark.
“Some years we have 20 or 25 different businesses donating products,” said Maupin. “And we can give the students all kinds of different things.”
So far, the high school plans on honoring 172 students for their dedication to school attendance tomorrow night – 112 for the first semester, 31 for the second semester and 29 students who have not missed a day of school all year, but do not necessarily need gifts for all of them.
“Usually we just like to hold a raffle at the ceremony so that everyone has an equal chance of getting a little extra something,” said Maupin.
For SBHS, where nearly 8 percent of all students are absent annually, recognizing students who have made it a point to attend school is particularly important. Every public school in California is funded based on the Average Daily Attendance system, and if a student attends every day he or she garners the school a full $6,048.37.
More importantly, students who attend school regularly have consistently higher grades and have a positive impact on the education of their classmates because teachers do not have to take instructional time catching them up on material they would have missed if they were sick, said Maupin.
“These are the kind of kids any business would want to have as an employee,” she said. “They’re dedicated to what they do and they take it seriously.”
But for students who have committed themselves to school, a little extra recognition would be nice.
“I think teachers appreciate it when you’re always in class, but I don’t know if everyone else does,” said Michelle Rovella, a junior who has been in class every day this year. “I’m proud of myself though, I think its important to get perfect attendance.”
The awards ceremony will be held tomorrow night at 7pm in the high school auditorium.
Anyone wishing to donate prizes may drop them off at the SBHS receptionist’s office or call 637-583 ext. 117 to arrange for a school official to pick the items up.
