A MESSAGE TO MINORS

Knowledge is power, and a pretty solid way for kids to get knowledge is staying in school. That’s why the Springfield-based Faith Coalition for the Common Good is partnering with Springfield Public Schools to make sure students know someone cares about their attendance. In School and On Time is a program meant to set an expectation among students that school is where they belong. Missing even two days of school per month works out to 108 hours of instruction missed over the course of the school year – about 10 percent of the total. “We teach from the first moment of the day until the last minute of the day. Missing even 15 minutes of the first hour of the school day will significantly impact core instruction and student success,” says Jennifer Gill, superintendent of Springfield Public Schools. The program involves advertisements on t-shirts, billboards, buses, yard signs and more, saying “In School and On Time – Your Community Cares!” For more information, contact Faith Coalition executive director Shelly Heideman at 217-544- 2297 or [email protected].