Perfect Attendance = Free Bicycles
Thursday, December 17th was an exciting day for kids with perfect attendance at Maynard Elementary! General Charme Allen made an appearance at the school to present 42 schoolchildren with brand new bicycles and helmets for achieving the goal of perfect attendance during the first semester of the school year. General Allen launched this pilot Attendance Reward Program at Maynard Elementary as part of our Office’s Truancy Reduction Initiative, but she plans to expand the program to other schools in August 2016. Evidence shows that students who regularly come to class and complete their education are far less likely to enter the criminal justice system. Missing even one day of school can be detrimental to students. This new program rewards students who go above and beyond the normal attendance policy.
Truancy Coordinator Robin Jones and Community Affairs Coordinator Jackie Myers jointly helped General Allen launch and implement the program, and generous donations from sponsors this semester helped make our program possible. All helmets were donated and sized by The Epilepsy Foundation of East Tennessee, and the 42 bicycles were provided thanks in huge part to the following: Pilot Flying J, Democratic Women of Knoxville, Eternal Life Harvest Center, Asheville Highway Animal Hospital, LLC, United Northeast Knox Democrats, Truancy Coordinator Robin Jones, and Assistant District Attorneys Debbie Malone, Willie Lane, TaKisha Fitzgerald, Samyah Jubran, John Gill, Ashley McDermott, Sean McDermott, and Phil Morton.
General Allen and her Staff congratulate the 42 students who achieved the goal of perfect attendance. Keep up the good work!
If you have any questions regarding the Community Affairs Unit, please contact the Community Affairs Director, Jasmine Rogers, at Jasmine.Rogers@knoxcounty.org. or 865-215-2515.