Volunteers Help Boost Student Attendance At Baltimore County School
BALTIMORE (WJZ)-- Getting kids to go to class. It's a challenge for many schools, but one Baltimore County elementary school has boosted its attendance record thanks to some volunteers.
Andrea Fujii has the story.
At Riverview Elementary, students are rewarded for perfect attendance.
They received gold coins and got to pick out school supplies for free with the help of Verizon Maryland Pioneers.
"It gives us an opportunity to work with the people that need the help to help them, in this case, get them through school and earn some good credits," said Paul Redline of Verizon Pioneers.
The Pioneers are an organization of more than half a million current and retired telecommunications employees nationwide who volunteer in their communities.
During their "Day of Caring," they chose to help Riverview because of their low attendance record.
Last year, attendance was below the state standards. This year, with the incentives, nearly 96 percent of students attend class every day.
Volunteers also read to the students and gave them dictionaries, showing them it pays to go to school.
"Setting them up for some life skills and for success, ultimately when they go to college and when they go to work, because you have to be there every single day," Mary Maddox, principal of Riverview Elementary, said.
Students also made blankets for soldiers wounded in the line of duty.
