Elementary Attendance Improves with Implementation of New Program

Amber Stuteville Lockhart has devised a new attendance program for the Olney Elementary School (OES) students this year. Inspiration for the program derived from teachers who would have popcorn as a treat on Fridays. One Friday, Lockhart heard some students commenting about how good it smelled and how they would like some popcorn. That’s when she got the idea for this year’s incentive program—Attendance H.E.R.O (Here, Every day, Ready, On-time).

Each class is a team with a team namemost named after superheroes. The class must spell out the words ‘perfect attendance’ to win a popcorn party. Each day that the entire class comes in on time they get a letter. After the class earns the last letter, they win the popcorn party.

As a result of this new program, the OES attendance has been between 97 and 98 percent.

“My personal goal is to keep attendance at 97 to 98 percent every day,” stated Lockhart. “So far we have only had a few days that we were just under that. We have some classes that have already had their second popcorn party.”

Lockhart was born and raised in Olney, and she graduated from Olney High School. After graduating from Texas A & M, she spent five years teaching fourth-grade science and social studies at OES. She earned her master’s degree while teaching and transitioned to the counselor position. She is now in her fourth year as the counselor at OES.

Visit the OES Facebook page to see which classes win popcorn parties.