Message From the Principal:
ATTENDANCE MATTERS!
On any given day, 5% to 7% of students in Harney County are absent from school. During flu and cold season, as expected, the percentages are higher. How important is it for kids to be in school? School attendance is a baseline factor in determining student success.In fact, research suggests that attendance, along with grade point average, are the best predictors of whether a student entering high school will graduate. A 2008 study conducted by the Rodel Community Scholars at Arizona State University that tracked students from kindergarten through high school found that dropout patterns were linked with poor attendance beginning in kindergarten. In this study, students who dropped out of high school had missed an average of 124 days by eighth grade. (www.greatschools.org)
Of course, not all students with poor attendance end up dropping out of school. But students are much more likely to succeed academically when they have consistent school attendance. When students are not in school or chronically late for school, they miss valuable instruction. The first 20 minutes of a class period often offers the greatest opportunity for learning. Additionally, students with frequent absences feel less engaged with their peers and teachers leading to feelings of frustration as they fall further and further behind.
Absenteeism is not a new problem, but now the stakes are higher and more costly. School budgets suffer when students don’t attend. In Oregon school budgets are based on average daily attendance. That means that if students are enrolled in a school and then do not consistently attend, the school will have less operating money. And school attendance rates are used to determine a portion of the rating for Oregon School Report Cards. If attendance rates drop below a certain level, the school’s “grade” is impacted. Finally, students who are not in school on a regular basis are often more likely to get in trouble with law enforcement and cause problems in their community.
Other than personal illness, there are lots of reasons offered why students are not in attendance. Doctor’s appointments, family trips, need for a break or rest, need to help at home, etc…. While occasionally all families experience the need to keep their child at home, too frequently we decide it’s just easier to stay at home than to make the effort to go to school or to plan ahead and schedule appointments around school. When students are not in school, even for a day or two, everyone is required to work harder to catch them up. Students need to make up missed instruction and assignments and teachers need to spend extra time making sure this happens. Consistent school attendance is a prerequisite for academic success. Let’s make sure we are providing our kids all the opportunities our schools have to offer. And the first step is making sure that being at school is a priority.
Success-CUHS received ARRA Grant for Energy Project
Governor Ted Kulongoski announced that Oregon has been approved by the U.S. Department of Energy to distribute over $500,000 in federal stimulus funds for energy efficiency projects in K-12 schools throughout the state. These 22 projects will be funded by the first installment of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) dollars the state has received for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. These Recovery Act funds can be used for public buildings, including K-12 schools, colleges, universities, and government buildings. To date, the state has received authorization to spend $17 million of the $42 million it has been awarded under the U.S. DOE's State Energy Program (SEP). The U.S. Department of Energy administers the funds, approves the projects and reviews the state's progress. Click here for the full press release.
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At CUHS, our vision is to develop competent future citizens of character for the 21st Century, and our mission is to continuously improve student learning and achievement.
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