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Sheldon High School Student Matthew King wins Elk Grove Auto Mall 2007/2008 Graduating Seniors Attendance Drive

A young man’s drive to attend school paid off May 30. Sheldon High School senior Mathew King won $20,000 towards the purchase of a new car at the Elk Grove Auto Mall for his strong attendance.

King was one of nine Elk Grove Unified seniors who advanced to the final round of the Elk Grove Auto Mall 2007/2008 Graduating Seniors Attendance Drive. The incentive based program is made possible through the generous contribution of the 17 member brands of the Elk Grove Auto Mall.

Senior high school students earn entries into the final drawing for every month they have perfect attendance in all their classes.

“Earning an entry ticket means no tardies, no orthodontist appointments, no skipping class, no excuses,” EGUSD Superintendent Steven M. Ladd, Ed.D., said to the audience at the grand finale event at the Elk Grove Auto Mall. “To be eligible, the seniors also must have fulfilled all of their graduation requirements, passed CAHSEE and are ready to enter the world as adults.”

“Students, I applaud you,” Superintendent Ladd said.

At the final event, each of the nine students was given a key that corresponds to a car. Following a drum roll from Elk Grove High School’s drum line, Superintendent Ladd told the students to start their engines. The student with the key that started the car won the final prize.

Matthew King’s key slid into the ignition and the Chevrolet Malibu started with a purr. He walked away a happy young man, ready to return soon to pick out his new vehicle.

The eight other runners-up each received a $200 savings bond from Stockman’s Bank and a $100 American Express gift certificate. The runners-up were:

• John Hamrick – Elk Grove High School
• Peter Lunsford – Florin High School
• Brianna Adamic – Franklin High School
• Khanh Xuan Cao – Laguna Creek High School
• Michelle Imperial – Monterey Trail High School
• Dorthy Robinson – Pleasant Grove High School
• Terrance Dean – Rio Cazadero High School
• Nga Phan – Valley High School

The Elk Grove Auto Mall 2007-2008 Graduating Seniors Attendance Drive was the second finale event of this year’s No Excuses – Go to School attendance campaign.

On May 20, for the first time ever, the No Excuses – Go to School Attendance Campaign recognized a grand prize winner at the middle school level. Justynne Olinda, a seventh grade student at Harriet Eddy Middle School, was the lucky recipient of two round-trip tickets for herself and a parent/guardian at the Southwest Airlines Ticket Giveaway Grand Finale Event. Olinda earned the chance to participate in the Grand Finale Event by having perfect attendance for at least one calendar month since February 2008. Grand prize winners at the elementary level will be recognized in the coming weeks.

The 2007-2008 school year marked the second year of the Attendance Campaign, designed to encourage students to attend school consistently in all grades. Additionally, the No Excuses – Go to School Attendance Campaign stretches beyond school attendance and into the theme of responsibility. Elk Grove Unified believes that by teaching students that life is about showing up and being counted, they will be more successful as adults.

“This year, we were fortunate to have Southwest Airlines offer an incentive for our middle school students,” said EGUSD Superintendent Steven M. Ladd, Ed.D. “These two round-trip tickets are a wonderful reward for students who have made a commitment to their education by attending their classes regularly.”

For each month a student had perfect attendance, they earned an entry into the ticket giveaway. One finalist was selected from each middle school to have a chance to win the two round-trip tickets from Southwest. In addition to the tickets, all runners-up received an iPod Shuffle.

“Attendance is very important to everyone at Southwest,” said Robert Churchill, a representative from Southwest Airlines who attended the event. “Everyone at Southwest – from pilots and flight attendants to mechanics and ticket representatives – know that going to work each day helps ensure our company runs smoothly. These students are already ahead of the game, building a great foundation for consistent attendance that will carry them through their futures when they enter the workforce.”

The following students were runners-up in the Southwest Airlines Ticket Giveaway:

• Sara Giang – Katherine L. Albiani Middle School
• Valerie Tse – Edward Harris, Jr. Middle School
• Erica Truong – Samuel Jackman Middle School
• Brandin Mello – Toby Johnson Middle School
• Maomai Yang – Joseph Kerr Middle School
• Lia Hen – James Rutter Middle School
• Vi Le – T.R. Smedberg Middle School

Elementary school students also have a shot at earning an end-of-the-year grand prize for having perfect attendance. Each of Elk Grove Unified’s 39 elementary schools will award one new bicycle and helmet to one student who obtained perfect attendance for at least one calendar month throughout the school year. Students had the chance to earn entries in a drawing for each month they achieved perfect attendance. At the end of the year, one student was selected from amongst the entries at each school site to win the bicycle and helmet.

The No Excuses – Go to School Attendance Campaign would not be possible without the support of various businesses, community groups and individuals in the Elk Grove and Sacramento communities. A special thanks goes to: Adidas, American Eagle Outfitters, Anova Architects, California Family Fitness, Crocker Art Museum, Crusader Fence Co., Inc., Dos Coyotes Border Café, Elk Grove Auto Mall, Elk Grove Optimist Club, Folger Graphics, Gottschalks, Great America, Paul A. Jones, CPA, Juice It Up, Kaiser Permanente, Lathrop Constructions Association, Inc., Mr. Pickles Sandwich Shop, Office Depot, Outback Steakhouse, Port City Java, Rainforth-Grau Architects, Round Table Pizza, Scandia Family Fun Center, Sacramento River Cats, Southwest Airlines, Sport Chalet, Stockmans Bank and Texas Roadhouse.

Spotlight Archives

2008
May 30, 2008 - Harriet Eddy Middle School student wins pair of round-trip tickets from Southwest Airlines
May 21, 2008 - Elk Grove Unified and the Elk Grove Education Association Celebrate the Day of the Teacher
May 6, 2008 - Elk Grove Unified School District’s 2008 Employees of the Year
April 28, 2008 - Sacramento County Educators Host Budget Forum at State Capital
April 16, 2008 - EGUSD Launches New Attendance Campaign Videos
April 4, 2008 - Winners selected for 3rd Annual Superintendent’s Art Contest
March 26, 2008 - Megaconference Jr. 2008 - Arthur C. Butler Students Take Their Voices to the World
March 17, 2008 - Elk Grove Unified Joins Call to Fix Governor’s Proposed Budget
March 4, 2008 - Elk Grove Unified Hosts Sacramento County Superintendents’ Press Conference on State Budget Cuts
Feb. 19, 2008 - 4th Annual High School Conference helps train the leaders of the future
Jan. 16, 2008 - Laguna Creek High School hosts ConnectEd Policy Site Visit
Jan. 02, 2008 - Senior Attendance Drive returns for second year

2007
Dec. 12, 2007 - John Ehrhardt Elementary students combine academics and community service
Dec. 03, 2007 - EGUSD’s Commitment to Service Learning Honored
Nov. 15, 2007 - Winners announced for No Excuses – Go to School Rhyme & Poster Contests
Nov. 13, 2007 - Veterans Day celebrated at Elk Grove Unified
Oct. 23, 2007 - Time of Remembrance Project and Website
Oct. 15, 2007 - Markofer Elementary offers “Donuts for Dads/Muffins for Moms"
Oct. 3, 2007 - EGUSD elementary schools participate in Walk to School Day
Sept. 18, 2007 - Options abound on new College and Career website

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