Oakland Natives Give Back Fund is proud to present the Kindergarten Attendance Challenge 100th Day of School Celebration.
Oakland, CA, January 14, 2023 – Oakland Natives Give Back Fund’s Kindergarten Attendance Challenge program will be hosting its 100th Day of School Celebration. Separate celebrations will be held at Hoover Elementary School,, Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary Schoo,, and Prescott Elementary School on the 100th day of school, Monday January 23, 2023.
The celebrations will be held on each of the individual schools’ campuses. Families are encouraged to attend these celebrations with their children and schoolteachers. Team members from Oakland Natives Give Back and the Kindergarten Attendance Challenge program will also be attending these celebrations.
The celebration is intended to present Kindergarten students who attended the first 100 days of school with achievement certificates. The celebration will include activities for everyone who attends:
Students will decorate a 100th Day craft
Parent/guardian attendees will be entered into a raffle to win gift cards prizes
Lunch and/or treats will be provided
Kindergarten Attendance Challenge Program
The Kindergarten Attendance Challenge program is one of many Oakland Natives Give Back’s programs designed to combat chronic absenteeism. The Kindergarten Attendance Challenge program is a challenge created to help students become motivated and rewarded for maintaining a positive attendance record. In collaboration with Hoover Elementary School, Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School, and Prescott Elementary School, kindergarten students earn $1 per day towards their college savings accounts for coming to school on time for the first 100 days of school.
Creating Positive School Attendance and Combating Chronic Absenteeism
In 2012, John Hopkins University published The Importance of Being in School. In this research, John Hopkins University found that 5 – 7.5 million students are chronically absent each year, which equals out to be missing a month or more of school. The research also showed that kindergarteners had nearly the same amount of absentees as students in the 9th grade.
In order to help combat those statistics and help students complete their education successfully, Oakland Natives Give Back decided to tackle the matter head-on; creating programs to help incentivize students to maintain positive attendance records, as opposed to taking punitive measures for missing school.
The benefits of regular attendance stem far beyond the classroom walls. Regular school attendance is crucial in helping children establish healthy habits that will stay with them long after they finish their education. Developing a healthy and motivated attitude towards attending school:
- Promotes academic success
- Encourages social development
- Fosters a positive school culture
Encouraging positive attendance at an early age helps set your child up for success both now and into the future. It gives them opportunities to build academic skills as well as social skills that will help them build meaningful relationships throughout life. By fostering an environment where your child feels encouraged and supported in attending school each day, you can help ensure that they get off on the right foot as they begin their educational journey.
For more information about Dr. Nyeisha DeWitt, The Oakland Natives Give Back Fund, or The Kindergarten Attendance Challenge program:
