Enrollment,  Attendance & the Code of Conduct

Attendance & Enrollment are the lifeblood of our public schools in the State of Michigan.  Mason Academy’s current faculty is based on the projected enrollment number of 433.  The closer we get to this number, the closer we get to securing our entire faculty for the school year.  In year’s past, Mason Academy’s enrollment numbers tend to rise immediately after count day.  A number of these students tend to come from neighboring charter schools but we also see students coming to school for their first day, even in October.  If you know anyone who hasn’t sent their child or children to school yet, please encourage them to enroll their children immediately. 

Our children will not be academically successful without coming to school consistently.  We are looking to see students present in school and on time daily.  We take attendance twice daily.  Our data is telling us that a number of students are getting to school just before lunch and are being marked absent for the AM attendance.  Our Count Day attendance numbers are looking good, but every day is as important as Count Day.  The work that must be done to improve academic achievement takes place Monday through Friday from 8:30 am until 3:40 pm. 

It is essential that we sit down with our children and review the expectations of the code of conduct.  We have multiple students up for expulsion for various reasons.  Code of Conduct will be a part of our Annual Title One Parent Meeting this Wednesday, October 16, 2019 @ 9am.

Annual Title One Parent Meeting

Stevens T. Mason Academy’s Annual Title One Parent Meeting will take place this Wednesday, October 16, 2019 beginning at 9am.

We are proud to partner with you in educating your child(ren). Helping your child to succeed academically is impossible without your participation. For that reason, the staff would like to extend an invitation to you to attend the Annual Title I Parental Involvement meeting to learn about and discuss various Title I programs offered at the school.

At this Parent meeting, you will learn about the following components:

• School's participation in the Title I program
• Title I requirements for your child's school
• Joint development of Parental Involvement Plan
• Joint development of School-Parent Compact Plan
• Title I Parental Involvement Allocation
• Increasing Parent's ability to assist students
• Keeping parents informed and involved about their student’s progress
• How to help students develop reading and math skills
• Increasing standards for teachers and teachers' aides
• Making sure students take part in statewide tests
• And many more topics about helping your child learn

As a parent, you have the right to be involved in your child's educational activities. The staff wants you involved because parents play a key role in helping our programs work for our students. We want to make it as easy as possible for all parents to participate. This meeting also gives you a chance to tell us what we can do to help you.

                Expect Respect... October’s Trait: RESPECT

We have reached the point where we must accept the fact that we have an academic crisis on hand in the City of Detroit.  When we look at the Beginning of Year IREADY Math & Reading data for our Kindergarten through 8th grade students we see that this data looks almost exactly like it looked at the beginning of School Year 2019. 

2% of our Kindergarten through 8th grade students are performing at grade level proficiency in the area of mathematics.  5% of our Kindergarten through 8th grade students are performing at grade level proficiency in the area  of reading.  We have 8 students counting at grade level and 19 students reading at grade level coming out of summer vacation. 

We must work together to change this!!!!!

It is imperative that students are in school, on time, ready to work.  I have substituted several times at the middle school and several of our students like to play games.  Coming to class without items to write with or write on, even after they have been given these materials by someone at some point in the day.  It is critical that our students come to school with the determination to be lifelong learners.  Seekers of Knowledge!!!!!

I’ve seen students waste time at their locker, claiming they are getting the things they need for class, and walking into their classroom empty handed.  This is unacceptable.  We have purchased enough paper, notebooks, pencils and ink pens for every student in the school for the entire school year.  We give these items to students without question and they give every excuse in the book for why they don't have what they need when they walk into the classroom.

We will start holding after school detention for students that come to school without the proper materials.  After school detention will take place Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays for our 3rd through 8th grade students.  After School detention will be from 3:40pm until 5pm. 

All students have received their IREADY Beginning of Year test results for Reading and Math.  Students are working with their teachers, Academic Interventionists, ParaEducators, and City Year Tutors to set their End of Year goals.  For students why have scored in the RED Category (2 years or more behind academically) they must successfully meet their stretch growth target to be considered for promotion at the end of year.

The only way we are going to close this gap is by setting expectations for our students that are strategic, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time bound.  If you have any questions about this expectations, please come to Wednesday’s Annual title One Parent Meeting to voice your concerns.  Our Annual Title One Parent Meeting will be Wednesday, October 16, 2019 beginning promptly at 9am.