November kicks off the holiday season with both traditional and newer holiday experiences, many of which are centered around family and generosity. Thanksgiving starts things off by encouraging us to spend time with loved ones and give thanks for what we have.
When you are giving thanks on November 23, give thanks for the fact that the United States and the State of California offer a free, public education to all children from grades kindergarten through 12. This includes free academic instruction, free textbooks, and free physical education. For many students in the San Bernardino City Unified School District, a free public education also includes social and economic support, including free transportation to school, free breakfast and lunch, and free before- and after-school programs, all of which provide those students with the support they need to take advantage of the free education available to them.
November 28 is a new holiday, of sorts, called Giving Tuesday. Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving when everyone is encouraged to contribute what they can to organizations and charities that provide economic, social, and emotional support to the poor and disenfranchised, and sometimes just the everyday members of the community.
When you consider doing your part on Giving Tuesday, consider giving a gift to the San Bernardino City Unified School District or whatever your local educational institution might be. But, instead of giving money, give the gift of good attendance. When you do your part to make sure your child, your niece or nephew, your grandchild, or the kid who lives down the block makes it to school on time every day, you increase their chances of doing well in school, earning a diploma, going to college, and having a satisfying career.
Organizations from the Baltimore Education Research Consortium to the National Center for Children in Poverty have studied the impact of poor attendance on student academic outcomes and graduation rates. For example, students with chronic absences are less likely to read proficiently by the end of third grade. But, when students improve their attendance and maintain good attendance, they dramatically improve their academic performance and their chances of graduating from high school.
So, the San Bernardino City Unified School District extends its thanks to every parent who makes the effort to get their child to school on time every day. And, we hope you will consider giving back to your community and paying it forward with the children in your life by making sure they develop good attendance habits.
By Corina Borsuk, public relations technician/writer/photographer, San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) and San Bernardino High School alumna