Today’s classrooms provide much more than academic instruction for students. Teachers incorporate life skills into lessons every day that help students find new ways of thinking and learn to become independent. For the eighth school month, Clay County Schools is recognizing classrooms from each end of the educational spectrum—preschool and high school—that support the development of life skills in students, as well as reinforce academic performance. Having the highest attendance in the district for the eighth school month are preschool students from Mrs. Misty Nichols’ classroom and high school students from Mr. Shawn Krajeski’s classroom.
Mrs. Nichols has been a teacher with Clay County Schools for sixteen years, and she has spent all of those years working with preschool students at Clay Elementary. When asked how she encourages good attendance among her students, Mrs. Nichols noted the importance of rewards such as stickers, as well as maintaining good communication with parents. She and classroom aide Vicky Perdue strive to make the classroom a fun place, ensuring students will want to be there every day. For the eighth school month, her students earned the highest attendance rate in the district: 97.14%.
Mr. Krajeski has been a teacher with Clay County Schools for twelve years, working ten of those years at Clay County High School. To encourage attendance among his students, Mr. Krajeski provides bonus points on students’ assignments; however, he shared, it is Fun Day Friday that his students most enjoy. When his students have good attendance for the week, Mr. Krajeski works with them to cook a meal they can enjoy together as a class on Friday. For the eighth school month, his students can celebrate having the second highest attendance rate in the district: 94.99%.
Congratulations to Mrs. Nichols, Mr. Krajeski, and their students!
