Shelby County Schools, the Memphis Grizzlies and Seeding Success tipped-off year-two of the Represent Every Day campaign and September’s National Attendance Awareness month at A. Maceo Walker Middle School with a celebration to get students excited about having great classroom attendance.

Last year, the District teamed up with some its major partners to raise awareness on attendance issues in Shelby County and tackle chronic absenteeism - students missing 18 or more days in school year. While the District saw overall improvements in attendance, more than 20,000 students still struggled to make it school every day.

Superintendent Dorsey Hopson was on hand for the early morning festivities and noted the importance of making school and areas such as attendance fun for students.

"We are excited to continue our partnership with the Grizzlies and Seeding Success and build on the momentum of last year’s Represent Every Day campaign," Superintendent Hopson said. "It’s simple - if students aren’t in class, they can’t learn. Students who are chronically absent year after year have missed an entire school year combined by the time they reach high school. This leads to students falling off track in the classroom, which not only impacts their achievement, but also limits opportunities in life."

Superintendent Hopson has set an ambitious goal of reducing chronic absences by 25 percent this school year. To reach these lofty goals, the Grizzlies and our community partners are stepping in to help make an impact in high-need schools, like A. Maceo Walker.

Last year, Dr. Terrence Brittenum, principal of A. Maceo Walker, served as a model for schools working to keep students in the classroom. Principal Brittenum made 2-percent gains in attendance by working closely with parents and community partners to identify and eliminate challenges that could prevent students from making it to school.

"Students cannot represent every day if they’re not in the classroom," Principal Brittenum said. "We’re a level-5 school with outstanding teachers, and it’s important for students to be in class learning. Our community has been key in this great work, and I think events like today’s celebration will only help to motivate our students even more."

The students at A. Maceo Walker aren’t the only ones being celebrated for their role in the District’s attendance initiative. Last year, Principal Brittenum also recognized teachers for their great attendance with rewards, like "VIP" parking spots and even monetary prizes.

The focus on attendance and rewards that come along with being in class won’t end after Attendance Awareness Month. The Grizzlies will be sending "Grizz-swag" to reward students with great attendance every grading period. Students have chances to earn Grizzlies t-shirts, autographed posters and even game tickets, but to win, student have to Represent Every Day.

Even though it was morning full of fun and excitement, students said the message was loud and clear.

"If you want to go somewhere and be somebody in life, it starts in the classroom."