That is just what a team from Winterboro High School has taken it upon themselves to do. Faculty members are visiting three area churches where many of the school’s students attend to let the parents and congregations know about the importance of graduating high school and to urge their cooperation in encouraging their children to do so.
Graduation coach Iris Jemison said such meetings are an important venue for reaching out to the people who have influence over the students’ lives. She said the community needs to be aware of the issues surrounding lower graduation rates.
“This is to make the community aware of what students can do with a diploma,” She said.
The first visit was to Mt. Pilgrim Baptist Church on Wednesday. The school’s team there was comprised of Jemison, principal Craig Bates, business and marketing teacher Kim Knight, librarian Tina Wheeler and tech specialist Jennifer Barnett.
Bates told the people how students cannot achieve their full potential without completing high school, yet many still don’t seem to be aware of that. Students often require the encouragement of those they know outside of school to understand this.
“Dropping out is a community problem, not a school problem,” he said.
“Our kids are up against a lot of things to stay in school,” Jemison said. She said besides one of the biggest of these obstacles can be feelings of lack of support, which is why the team want to let the people know.
Bates explained to the church that these visits were not to raise money but to make the community aware of the seriousness of why students must graduate and the problems the school has faced with this issue.
Jemison agreed, “Our whole point of being here tonight is to drum up support.”
Bates informed the congregation how the declining graduation rates are a “national epidemic,” citing how student retention has become one of the biggest problems affecting graduation rates.
“We used to be the pinnacle of knowledge and technology, but now we’re not,” he said.
He talked about the technicalities involved that adversely affect a school’s graduation rates, such as how students that pass all classes but not a section of standardized graduation exams still don’t graduate or how transfer students who drop out are considered the new school’s dropouts.
These examples were to encourage the importance of community effort in helping students pass every level of classes and exams.
Jemison said the school is making strides toward improving its students’ own behavior towards graduation through technology and other programs.
She discussed things the school is doing to improve student performance such as its ongoing 21st Century Skills initiative.
Jemison also talked about the influence mentoring can have on inspiring children to stay in school. WHS has recently partnered with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Alabama to give at-risk students mentors for just this purpose.
She explained to the church that things like tutoring and help with graduation exams are also available and that the community should encourage students to take advantage of them.
She said a job-shadowing program is also in the works.
Jemison told the community what the school has already been doing to encourage higher graduation rates, such as its Commit to Graduate ceremony and the Choice Bus.
Knight went on to tell how students can stay active in school through career and technical education.
She said specialty areas like this not only give students more real-world experience that encourages them to stay in school, but that incentives such as winning competitions in these areas can boost students’ confidence.
The school’s next church visits will be 6:30 p.m. Jan. 27, at Mt. Moriah Baptist Church and then again at 6:00 p.m. Feb. 3, at Kingston Baptist Church.
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