JACKSON SCHOOL BOARD STUDIES ACADEMIC GOALS

JACKSON -- The implementation of an academic letters achievement program is one way parents, students, and faculty are seeking to achieve two goals set this year for the R.O. Hawkins Junior High School.

During a presentation to the Jackson Board of Education this week, Assistant Principal Dan Beard listed the goals as strengthening home-student-school ties, and promoting and recognizing academic and nonacademic excellence and success.

To achieve those goals, Beard said seven implementation methods were developed, based on suggestions from the school board and teaching staff.

Beard said the first, the homeroom concept, is designed to help seventh grade students through what he termed "a critical time for them and their parents."

He noted students entering junior high school for the first time are faced with not one, but seven teachers. "The concept of a homeroom will provide a stabilizing impact for these new students," said Beard. "Until this year, the school did not have homerooms."

Beard said the Parent Teacher Organization and Parenting Network was responsible for creating the Academic Letter Program that began this fall. He said the first letter awards will be given at the Academic Awards Assembly next spring.

"A school's priorities are reflected, to some degree, in its ceremonies, symbols, and the accomplishments it chooses to officially recognize," Beard said. "We believe that our school, by rewarding academic letters, will display a tangible reward for high achievement."

The project is sponsored by the R.O. Hawkins Junior High School PTO. The academic letter will be the same as the traditional "J" school athletic excellence letter, except it will note "Academic" recognition.

To qualify for the academic letter, students must have a 10.0 (A) grade point average that is based on the first, second, and third quarters of a single academic year; based on the average of the three quarters grade points; and based on including all classes in the averaging,

Beard said a supervised after-school study program that was implemented at the junior high school this year has grown from a few students to over 20 students. Most of them voluntarily stay to do their homework or, if necessary, receive extra help with their homework.

"Our surveys showed that many of our students go home after school with no parent at home because they are working, or they are a single parent," said Beard. "The concept started slowly, but it is working well. Parents are also pleased with the idea."

Beard said the adoptastudent concept places teachers on a oneonone level with "high risk" students to help them with their school work and study habits. "We're not sure yet how much success we'll have with this, because these are some pretty tough problems," he added.

Another program to meet the goal of closer home-student-school ties is the Telephone Homework Hotline. Beard said the hotline consists of answering machines on which have been recorded daily homework assignments for seventh and eighth grade students.

"We've had many favorable comments from parents on this," said Beard. "If there is a question about what a student is supposed to do for homework, a phone call provides the answer. It's also used by parents when their child is sick."

Another program that has attracted the attention of students, said Beard, is the Jackson Junior High School reading program. The program began in October, and offers students the opportunity to earn prizes for books they read.

Each book must be approved in advance by the student's teacher, or be on a reading list. Students must complete a test, or a report on the book.

Prizes include coupons for food from local restaurants. As a student reads more books, the value of the incentive goes up. For example, students who have read 35 books will receive a Jackson High School sweatshirt, a $15 value. Those who read 45 books will receive a Jackson High School jacket, a $40 value.

Students who read 50 books between now and the end of the contest on May 1 will receive a $50 savings bond from two local banks.

"So far, over 200 books have been read, and at least 50 percent of the junior high school students are now involved in the program," said Beard.