Bringing Tradition Back to Our Schools
By: Dawn Moen
What can we, as educators, do to help students succeed on their journey towards graduation? With graduation rates continuing to plummet nationwide, no school finds themselves immune to this ever-increasing problem. The number of students that are at risk for not graduating on time and with their fellow classmates is on the rise. There's no question the economic fallout of these dropout rate increases will be devastating from society as a whole down to the individual communities that are affected.
Perhaps your school isn't facing problematic graduation rates, but you could stand to increase GPAs, attendance and improve morale. Celebrate every milestone and accomplishment no matter how small and bring tradition back into our schools.
Listed below are several initiatives that we can take to increase student involvement, which almost all educators agree is the key to increasing graduation rates and, moreover, developing individuals that will succeed in life.
Determine Key Performance Area(s)
Establish baseline information for area(s) of concentration so you can chart your school's progress and celebrate its victories. Goals can include:
* Improved graduation rates
* Improved GPAs
* Improved attendance rates
* Decreased discipline problems
* Increased faculty or staff involvement
Empower Your Students and Educators
Brainstorm incentives and recognition plans that pertain to the key performance area(s). Sort through your ideas and focus upon those that are attainable. Select a mixture of the following goals for your students and educators.
* Immediate goals (can quickly put into action)
* Short-term goals (require more organization and work, but are achievable)
* Long-term goals (ideas that can be achieved over several school years)
Review your efforts and the corresponding results. Identify potential problems and address them before you start a new idea. Celebrate success!
Start Celebrating Graduation Early
Kindergarten, elementary and middle school graduations establish the foundation that accomplishments in your school are recognized and celebrated no matter how small. Caps and gowns are not as essential as the ceremony itself, which lets students know that they have succeeded and that their accomplishment is recognized. The ceremony need not be lavish to serve as a lasting memory with the students. A simple diploma with the student's name, handed out by a school administrator, serves as a token of your recognition and is a constant reminder to the student of his or her success.
Make a Commitment to Graduation
Having your student body commit themselves to graduation does not need to be an elaborate event to be considered a success. Whether it involves having students sign a banner on the first day of their freshman year, which commits themselves to graduate in four years, or handing out tassels with the student's graduation year in a small ceremony, every point of contact that you have with students that stresses the importance of graduation is another step towards their success. The more that students are able to identify with their graduation year through contact with school administration and product that identifies their graduation year, the more committed they become to graduating on time and with their class.
Encourage Extracurricular Activities
Whether academic or athletic, extracurricular activities increase student involvement, and there are many things we can do to increase participation. Have the leadership of all extracurricular activities personally hand out certificates to all students who participate in extracurricular activities. Recognize all extracurricular activities (both academic and athletic) at all school assemblies so that peers can recognize their fellow students.
Show School Pride
As corny as it sounds, school pride is another key to student involvement. From the school mascot to the school crest, the more that the school and its history are represented, the more students are able to identify with its significance. Apparel, stationary and product with your school's name, mascot or crest are physical elements that can improve school spirit.
Students will develop a greater appreciation for their school once they understand its history and the greatness that has preceded them. How did their school form, and what accomplishments have come out of it and its alumni? The more that you can demonstrate the importance of your school and its place in society, the more that students will want to identify it and become part of its rich tradition.
The tradition of class rings and ring ceremonies is one of the oldest, most enduring traditions and another way that students can express their school pride. The original class ring symbolized pride and accomplishments of the Class of 1835 at West Point. A class ring captures the essence of the high school experience--the friendships that have formed, the teams that have conquered, and the rich traditions of the school itself. Creating a small ceremony to present students with the class rings that they have ordered goes a long way in preserving the history and pride of your school.
Increase Parental Involvement
Parents and other responsible adults are the single most important influence on children's lives. You can encourage parental involvement through the following:
* Encourage 100 percent attendance at parent/teacher conferences.
* Ask parents to talk to their employers about donating extra school supplies.
* Advocate family time no matter how insignificant the time seams
Use Products to Create Your Own Traditions
Although much of bringing tradition back into our schools involves interaction more than product, a certain amount of product can assist you with involving student participation and increasing your school's performance. Beyond the class rings, letter and award jackets and academic regalia are some other products that can enhance existing school traditions as well as creating your own.
1. Tassels with graduation date
Any time that a student holds his or her graduation date, it sends a powerful message and begins the process of him or her identifying with his or her graduating class. So, the sooner that you can begin promoting this, the sooner students will feel included in a group and able to identify with their fellow classmates.
Another great aspect about tassels is that they are made in your school's colors, so both students and their parents identify with your school. Tassels can be made as key chains and can have graduation years printed with rhinestones, so that they appeal to the students.
Don't wait until senior year to pass these great items out, and be sure and give these items in some type of ceremony (no matter how informal) to show the students you are committed to helping them graduate and have a wonderful scholastic experience.
2. Caps, gowns & diplomas
As mentioned earlier, kindergarten, elementary and middle school graduations establish the foundation that accomplishments in your school are recognized and celebrated no matter how small. Miniature caps and gowns are available; however, the most important piece is the diploma, which can also be miniature to showcase the student's accomplishment.
3. Positive postcards
Supply teachers with a stack of postcards on their desks so they can simply jot down a student's name and something positive that he or she did that day. Postcards can then be mailed to the students' homes to connect with the parents families. As you become more comfortable with the program, you can ask local retailers to offer a discount on the backs of the postcard, such as a free personal pizza at the local pizza or 50 percent off a sub at the local sandwich shop.
4. Perfect attendance recognition
Recognize students with perfect attendance for a particular quarter or semester in a monthly drawing. Winners can receive anything from a sports ticket packages to gear donated from a local college.
The future of this nation will be lived and led by the children of today. Positive youth development comes about through shared commitment, goals, a vision and action. One of the most important ways to help children succeed in life is to help them not only graduate from high school but also to leave them with a positive experience filled with traditions that both enrich their lives and build their character.
Dawn Moen is a marketing manager with National Recognition Products (NRP),www.nrpgrad.com, a graduation products company. She is currently leading the Legacy initiative at NRP, which is a program to help celebrate students' milestones on their journey toward graduation.
