District campaign encourages Springdale students, staff to finish strong

SPRINGDALE -- The School District is working to keep students and staff motivated through the end of the school year.

The Finish Strong campaign is a mixed media effort to invigorate morale and learning as the year winds down, said Trent Jones, communications director.

"There's still covid stuff about it, and there's still covid guidelines, but there's hope," Jones said of the remainder of the school year. "There's possibility."

Administrators recognize the challenges students and staff have faced during the pandemic and designed the campaign to end the school year on a high note, Jones said.

"Having come this far, I think it's important to remind our students that we've made it three-quarters of the way," said Melissa Meyers, a Spanish teacher at Tyson School of Innovation. "We need to finish this year strong."

"Kids just get complacent at the end of the year," she said. "The weather's nice. It's just hard being in school all day."

Anderson Isaacks, 16, 0f Fayetteville is a junior at Springdale High. He said the campaign is valuable for students attending school during the pandemic.

"Students need to really try hard and dig deep to finish this one out, " Isaacks said. "It's been a tough year for everybody."

The campaign encourages students to "come to school, log in and be present" through daily messages in English and Spanish on the district's social media pages. The posts include photos of and tips from students and staff members.

"Listen to your teachers. Don't be distracted. Turn in your work. Don't get behind," advised Ximena Perea, a senior at Archer Learning Center, in a post.

Teachers likewise are offering tips for success, Jones said.

"Make sure you are checking your assignments online and respond to emails from your teachers. Advocate for yourself when you need help. It matters!" said Amanda Craddick, Springdale High teacher, in a post.

"Come to school" and "log in" refer to attendance through the district's in-person, virtual and blended learning models, Jones said. The "be present" component is designed to speak to covid fatigue and the natural tendency of students to mentally disengage as the end of the school year approaches, he said.

Administrators of some of Northwest Arkansas' largest districts said tracking attendance has been particularly challenging during the pandemic because of varying learning models and quarantines.

Some 75% of Springdale's students met the 95% attendance threshold the first semester of the 2020-21 school year, said Marcia Smith, associate superintendent. District attendance data for the 2019-20 school year isn't yet available, but Springdale had an 87% attendance rate for the previous year, Smith said.

Rogers historically has an average attendance rate of 94%, but this year it's about 84%, said Ashley Kelley Siwiec, Rogers communications director.

Fayetteville experienced a slight decline in attendance from 95.2% in the first quarter of the 2019-20 year to 94.6% in the first quarter of the 2020-21 school year, said Chad Scott, student services executive director.

"I'm really pleased with these numbers," Scott said. "I attribute it to all the building staff, from teachers to administrators to office staff, who knew what we had to do to keep kids engaged."

The Springdale district is inviting the community to participate in the Finish Strong campaign, Jones said, and is encouraging others to help motivate students and staff to finish the year strong with messages on social media, business marquees and signs.

Mayor Doug Sprouse has participated by posting an encouraging video on his official Facebook page.

"As the school year wraps up, I encourage local businesses and community members to congratulate a student, to thank a teacher and to remind them that they beat the odds during a year that had what seemed like all the odds stacked against them," Sprouse said.

"Our students need to feel engaged and motivated, and I believe we as a community can provide opportunities to them through social media, through special projects and simply through positive reminders that they have the ability to finish a historic school year out strong, excelling them forward in their future endeavors."

There's a dramatic difference to how the school year began and where the district is today, Jones said.

"We have vaccines rolling out, the sun's coming out, we're going to have in-person graduation, we're going to have in-person prom," he said. "Back in July, we weren't sure the school was going to be open even for two weeks."