We’re always looking for ways to make success easier for kids, either by removing barriers or providing incentives for focusing on studies. Peck Elementary of Greensboro, NC has worked extensively alongside Business Voices members to great benefit. Most recently, this came in the form of a new program to reward good attendance.
Members of Greensboro Day School’s basketball team, along with Coach Johnson, paid a visit to Peck Elementary as the school launched this new program. Called the “NBA” program, it stands for “Never Been Absent.”
Approximately 70 students at Peck have never missed a day of class thus far this year. It’s an impressive number especially considering all the challenges students at various schools face getting to class each day. That dedication deserves acknowledgement, which was a topic that took focus during the meeting.
Players on the basketball team discussed the importance of coming to class every day and making good grades — how it’s helped them and how to encourage more students to push for it. The more the team talked about it, the more it seemed like there should be incentives and acknowledgements for students to make a greater effort to do this.
Kids with the best attendance by the end of the year will have a pizza party thrown for them, as well as a mini skills camp for basketball and cheerleading. The reward is a nice way to say to the kids, “Good job; we all notice your efforts.” But more than that, it’s a way to reinforce a major life lesson: you’ve got to keep showing up.
Rather than focus on punishments of not showing up, this program highlights the positive consequences to putting the best foot forward every day. Great job, everyone!
