ACADEMIC PEP RALLY AIM OF CAPE CENTRAL SCHOOL RENAISSANCE PROGRAM

An academic pep rally and recognition for academic excellence, scholar athletes and performing arts scholars are among the hoped-for activities for Cape Central High School's Renaissance program.

The voluntary program, which started in May at Cape Central, encourages educational achievement and outstanding contributions of students and staff with the three R's: Reinforcement, recognition and reward, said Julia Jorgensen, program coordinator.

Several components of the program have already been implemented, Jorgensen said. Students who make academic progress or improve attendance and disciplinary records receive prizes of food, discount coupons and other recognition from local merchants and restaurants. Teachers can also nominate students for special recognition.

Tiger Pride cards are awarded to students displaying good citizenship, Jorgensen said, and cash prizes and donuts are awarded to students who show perfect attendance.

"Our biggest event that we're going to do is an academic pep rally," she said. It will probably be held in February.

"This will be a phenomenal experience, because we've never really had an academic pep rally," she said. "It's not going to be just our straight-A students. We're going to recognize students who no longer have Fs and get them pumped up. We want to recognize anybody who's excelled."

Teachers who participate in the program also qualify for prizes and recognition, Jorgensen said, including birthday recognition, door prizes, drawings, shirts, wellness programs, discounts, coupons and the My Daddy's Cheesecake "Teacher of the Month" Award.

Community support of the Renaissance program has been good, Jorgensen said, but additional sponsors are needed to help fund all of the planned recognition projects, including the scholar athlete and performing arts athlete projects, and other incentives.

"Our goal is to come up with an academic excellence program," she said. Students who make the "A" or "B" honor rolls or who raise their quarterly grades at least one letter grade in two courses would receive special "gold" cards good for merchant discounts.

"So what happens is the student gets recognition every time he uses that card," she said. "And they're spending money at the merchant's."

Student representatives on the Renaissance steering committee say they think the program has made a big difference at the school.

"I think it's helped a lot," said Nathan Owen, a junior. "It used to be easy to have a lot of school spirit. Now people need more of a motivation to have school spirit, and this helps a lot."

The best part of the program, he said, is that everyone can be involved, "not just the top students, but everyone in the school. It gives them motivation to do a little bit better."

Stan Clark, a senior, said students in the program have sold YELL newspapers, spoken to civic and business groups about the program and redecorated the front lobby of the high school.

The Renaissance program has been implemented in 6,000 schools nationwide, Jorgensen said, and has been shown to improve academic and attendance performance and reduce dropout and discipline problems.