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School presentation highlights attendance incentives, assemblies and staff retirements
Summary
Staff at Mendota CCSD 289 presented classroom engagement and attendance initiatives — including an "attendance hero" bear, Paw Pride assemblies, kindness projects, therapy dog visits and planned end-of-year rewards — and the board recognized multiple long-serving employees who are retiring.
Presenter (S1) walked the board through school-level programs aimed at improving attendance and student engagement and introduced staff members in attendance.
S1 highlighted the district's attendance plan, including a rotating "attendance hero" bear used as a classroom incentive, monthly Paw Pride assemblies, a Kindness program that produces community-service projects (Kleenex/mitten drive, bookmarks for the public library, food pantry efforts), and trimester rewards funded in part by school fundraisers. S1 said these activities have helped increase student engagement and provide positive behavior reinforcement.
The presenter also introduced a therapy-dog program coordinated by Linda Swanson. The therapy dog (Willa May) visits roughly once every six weeks and is used both in general lunchtime visits and in targeted lunchtime sessions for students receiving tier 2 or tier 3 social supports.
The board publicly recognized staff service: the presenter introduced Tia Musgrove (first-year STEAM teacher) and acknowledged two retirees (Gina and Michelle, years of service cited in the meeting), thanking them for their long service to the district.
What happens next: Staff will continue planned assemblies, rewards and community projects through the end of the school year; district leaders said they will finalize calendar and program details in upcoming administrative steps.
