Gov. Mike Easley has proclaimed Sept. 7-13 as “Graduation Awareness Week” in North Carolina, and in all grade levels, Rowan-Salisbury schools are emphasizing the message: Graduate!
On Wednesday, Rowan-Salisbury School System officials have asked all employees to:
– Wear clothing which represents the high school from which they graduated. (Employees who don’t have clothing with their school name or logo, are encouraged to wear their high school colors.)
– Post the name, mascot, city and state of their high school somewhere in their classroom or office. “The brave ones can include the Class of …,” Superintendent Dr. Judy Grissom wrote in a memo.
– If they have a yearbook from their high school years, bring it to school to share with students.
Districtwide, each high school has set a “graduation benchmark” goal for this year. They are in the process of developing and collecting strategies to work with students throughout the year on the importance of earning a diploma.
Some schools have special plans, including:
– West Rowan Middle School offers after-school tutoring with transportation home provided. Beginning in November, West Rowan will offer Saturday school for students who want to catch up or accelerate.
The school plans to create personalized educational plans for all students in danger of failing. The staff will review the plans regularly and discuss them with parents.
– East Rowan High School, which plans to make announcements with telling statistics about the need to graduate.
– Jesse C. Carson High School, which is reviewing plans to follow for any student requesting withdrawal.
– Henderson Independent High School, where half of the staff and students will participate in the YMCA’s rope challenge course this week. On Friday, students will meet Catawba and Livingstone athletes during lunch at Henderson.
– North Rowan High School, where the staff will meet with parents of seniors in the media center Thursday evening to discuss graduation requirements and what students need to do to complete their diplomas.
– Salisbury High School, where students and their advisors will discuss drop-out statistics and options for their future advisor-advisee time.
– South Rowan High School, where student groups will make posters about the importance of a high school diploma.
– West Rowan High School, where the in-house TV broadcast for the student body will focus on need to stay in school and graduate. Art classes also will design and display bulletin boards.