By Stephen Smoot
Communities In Schools coordinators presented their mid-year attendance improvement reports to the Pendleton County Board of Education last week.
The verdict? So far, so good.
Board members opened the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance and an invocation from J. D. Wilkins. Immediately following, Marilyn Warner Propst was sworn in to fill the seat opened by the resignation of Teresa Heavner.
Once Propst took the oath of office, the school board settled down to business. First, Nicole Hevener, assistant superintendent of schools, welcomed the Communities In Schools site coordinators. She stated that “all the burdens and cares that teachers have, they are all taken care of by this now.” Hevener added that CIS brings “everything the students need.”
Leslie Cook, site coordinator for Pendleton County Middle/High School, shared that their team had chosen to focus on combatting chronic absences. The state defines this as a situation where a child has missed 10 percent or more school days. Last year, the school had a chronic absence rate of 27 percent and a goal to reduce to 25.
The effort so far has outstripped the goal set. Cook reported that in the first nine weeks, the percentage was 20.5 percent and 23.5 in the second. Currently, the number sits at 21 percent in the year to date with the target goal at 25.
Many of the most challenging students receive case management, with permission from their parent or guardian. Cook stated that 53 percent of these students had improved their attendance.
Cook added that “we also have Penny,” and shared that “one student told me that school is so much better with Penny there.” Penny provides emotional support for children and also received training to help her to identify students in emotional distress.
Liz Rollins then discussed some highlights of the semester. These included a back-to-school resource fair with the former West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources as a partner. They also partnered with Eastern Action to provide a free spaghetti dinner social event for students and families.
In the backpack program, 28 students took advantage of supplemental food to take home on the weekends and students can attend a career fair on March 22.
Franklin Elementary School’s CIS program was represented by Wendy Kisamore. She shared that their primary goal lay in improving attendance from last year’s 93.15 percent to at least 94.15 percent in 2023-24. The first nine weeks saw 95.56 percent, but that fell off slightly to 94.03 percent in the second, mostly due to contagious illnesses making the rounds.
Year-to-date attendance remains above the goal, staying just above 95 percent.
She proudly said, “I want to add, that’s highest in the county right now.”
Part of motivating students to improve attendance lies in doing what may seem like the little things. Kisamore explained that includes “greeting them every morning. Let them feel welcome. Tell them good-bye in the evening. Give them motivation to come back the next day.”
Motivation also comes from rewards programs that include the opportunity to earn credits at the “Paw Store,” which she said is “a big thing for the students each month.” Also, AGK Italian Restaurant provides a free pizza slice for those students who bring by their “birthday badge.”
Among many other projects and events, the FES sixth-grade students will submit short stories and hand drawn pictures to be included in a book to be published later this year.
Liz Harper, CIS coordinator for North Fork Elementary, rose next. At NFES, the top goal lay in decreasing chronic absence by two percent, followed by a plan to work to meet students’ basic needs.
Chronic absences at the Circleville school hit 21 percent last year. Harper said that they had hoped to get that number down to 19 percent. The first semester smashed all expectations in a positive way, with chronic absenteeism down to 16.6 percent. Illnesses have spiked in the last two months, edging the number to 18.88 percent year to date, but still under the goal.
She reported that 24 students participate in the backpack program. Also, Harper explained how she diligently follows up with students who record consecutive absences, mainly to make sure they need homework or to explain how parents can avoid unexcused absences by turning in doctor notices.
When ill children return to school, Harper always makes sure to say, “I missed seeing you.”
As with all the schools, some students receive more support in the case management program. Families facing significant challenges can opt into this and receive more resources, whether they be tangible or even getting advice on how to handle problems.
Highlights of the year so far include a special Veterans’ Day program, field trips, Christmas presents from First Lady Cathy Justice for all case managed students, and an upcoming spaghetti dinner.
Aliyah Wright presented on progress at Brandywine Elementary School. That school focused on raising their overall attendance levels. Last year, the school achieved a 92 percent mark and set a 94 percent goal. Year-to-date attendance has topped the goal and currently sits at 94.328 percent.
“With so much sickness going around,” Wright explained, “we are very, very impressed with the attendance.” Every CIS found creative ways to chart attendance for students. At Brandywine, this happens on a bulletin board with a popcorn motif. The “biggest popcorn” grade gets an attendance flag. BES also relies heavily on rewards competitions and other programs to encourage children to want to come to school. The idea lies in creating “a positive relationship between school and students.”
Brandywine children enjoying a birthday get special coupons to be redeemed at Fox’s Pizza for an ice cream cone. The BES Holiday Food Drive brought in 1,039 cans totaling more than 800 pounds of donated food.
Later in the meeting, Carrie Nesselrodt assigned credit, saying that “all the progress we see is due to CIS.” She reported how excited the competitions and contests made the children, proving their effectiveness.
Charles Hedrick, Pendleton County Schools superintendent, talked about the “riffle effect,” saying that “the proof of that comes from the thousands of lives you have impacted” not just directly, built through kinship, friendship, and parental ties forged down the road.
Sonny O’Neil, board member, added, “A person who gets used to attendance in school will show up for work as an adult.”
