By Kim Hilsenbeck.
Students across Hays County may have trudged back to school following a two-and-a-half week holiday break, but at Hays CISD’s Simon Middle School, the atmosphere on Monday was downright festive.
With good reason, since the school came in first in the E3 Alliance and Get Schooled Graduate for Más Fall Attendance Challenge.
Simon came in first in Central Texas and 14th in the United States, and earned $5,000 in the process. Principal Matt Pope and his staff organized a celebration pep rally Monday morning. The event included games and challenges, a dance routine by the Lehman High School Star Steppers, and a world-premiere video made by Pope and other Simon teachers to the popular Katie Perry song, “Roar.”
Pope also gave a motivating speech to students about what it means to be a champion and how not just sports stars can wear that title. He referenced Caesar Chavez, a champion of Latino civil rights, and a young Pakistani teenager who survived an attempted assignation for speaking out against the Taliban.
The Graduate for Más Fall Attendance Challenge was a friendly ten-week competition to rally students to improve attendance and stay focused on education. More than 135,000 students participated nationally.
Students and teachers at Simon Middle School took part in a pep rally Monday morning to celebrate winning the Graduate for Más Fall Attendance Challenge. With its first place win in Central Texas and 14th in the country, Simon earned $5,000. Students and teachers at Monday’s pep rally competed in a series of games and challenge. (Photos by Kim Hilsenbeck) |
Pope and district administrators acknowledge absenteeism is a challenge.
Partnering with local school districts and backbone organizations such as E3 Alliance, the challenge provided students with incentives and fun, educational and engaging activities while providing college-planning information. The challenge also promoted a peer culture that supports attendance improvement and academic success.
To encourage students to come to school every day during the challenge, which took place between October and December, Simon used a variety of mini in-school challenges between grade levels and offered incentives, games, and activities to rally students around attendance improvement.
“We’re excited to win this Challenge,” Pope said. “We worked hard last semester and emphasized the importance of learning good attendance habits. Credit belongs to our parents, our students, and our staff for working as a team to win the challenge. The lasting effect is that our students, who have learned to appreciate the significance of excellence attendance, are on their way to lifelong success.”
