Chronic Absenteeism is a major concern across the nation. At Mason Academy, we’ve dealt with this debilitating issue for years. Unfortunately, the progress we’ve made to improve student attendance has been slow.

Student attendance directly impacts student achievement. We can’t achieve our academic goals if our students aren’t consistently in the building to get the work, ask the questions, and get the answers they need to be better scholars.

Based on our most current data, our second grade population has the lowest attendance average for the month of December 2018.

Mrs. Vinson, Mason Academy’s Attendance Agent, is spearheading our attendance initiative by facilitating the 2nd Grade January Attendance Challenge.

We’re looking for 95% attendance from our 2nd graders for the month of January. This is easy! Especially since the first week of January 2019 accounted for half our Christmas Vacation.

From January 7th to January 11th Mason Academy averaged 81% daily attendance. Our daily attendance average goal is 95%. We are 14% or 60 students away from hitting our daily target.

Based on our current growth data, 26% of our Kindergarten through 8th grade population have achieved their end of year growth targets in Mathematics. 15% of our students saw significant growth; moving from 2 grade levels behind to one grade level behind in proficiency. Our goal is to reduce the percentage of students at risk from 51% to 25% based on our End of Year I-READY Diagnostic for both Reading & Mathematics

With our One-to-One Technologies, we are able to diligently blend technology into our daily instructional platform. Students are able to work independently, in small groups, or as a class with their teacher to complete special projects, practice their typing skills, prepare for the PSAT, and complete online assignments.

As we learn how to best use the technologies in the building, we are able to see the benefits of our labor. The graphic above reflects student growth on the Mid Year I-Ready Reading examination. From kindergarten through 8th grade, 12% of our students that were performing two grade levels or more behind in reading have improved significantly. 33% of our total population have already met their end of year growth targets and 28% of our students are on pace to meeting their end of year growth targets on time.

If our students aren’t in school, our students aren’t growing!!!!!

Students are expected to complete 45 minutes a week of online lessons for I-READY Reading and 45 minutes a week of online lessons for I-READY Math. 90 minutes total of engaged work. This work is specifically based on individual students achievement on our Diagnostic Assessments. The better our students do on our Diagnostic Assessments, the greater the chance they will be proficient on the M-STEP. All of our General Education students in 3rd through 8th grade will be taking the M-STEP in April & May.

If you haven’t come in already to receive your child’s I-READY Progress Report, please do so. We can print their individual progress reports for you in our main office.

By the end of the year, we want the bar graph above that reflects our “Progress to Annual Typical Growth to read 200% This would mean that our entire population of students hit their growth targets.

One thing I'm tired of is all the drama, it's 2019. I believe everyone needs to chill out and worry about passing and school work. People have more drama then the men on the moon. Kids from eighth grade all the way to fifth grade have Instagram drama, Facebook drama , Snapchat drama, people create drama on purpose just to start up some stuff! Don't even get me started with the following... but here I go.

We all know our mothers taught us better then to be a follower half the kids that we think we should be following aren't living up to their full potential. Since we got that out the way  let's talk about this school work. Many of us come to school to sit, sleep, eat , and play but in all honesty we don’t think about our school work. Then we're be scared to put our hands up to let the teacher know we need help. ITS. NOT. EMBARASSING.

Everybody struggles at a time and place, if you need help you need help, ask for it. All I'm saying is it's 2019  Lets cut the drama and cut into the school work before we be in the same grade next year, take my advice and keep 2018 in the past.   

-Tequila Collins

My name is Jill Thomas and I am currently teaching English Language Arts and Social Studies to the best 5th grade class in the City of Detroit, here at Mason Academy.

I have been teaching for 10 years and this is my first-year teaching for Detroit Public Community Schools. I am an alumnus of the former Detroit Northern High School. I received my undergraduate degree in Elementary Education and my graduate degree in Special Education with a concentration in Cognitive Impairment from Wayne State University.

In my spare time, I enjoy home improvement projects, shopping at estate sales, reading, and watching movies. I love collecting antiques and anything considered vintage. I believe in Excellence, and as a teacher, I aim to be ready with a plan. Being prepared is an essential part of upholding a high standard. Effective teaching, in my opinion, is teaching to each individual child. I look forward to a wonderful and exciting day each time I enter the building!

My name is Ahmad Bazzi and I am a middle school teacher at Mason Academy. I chose to become a teacher because I believe that becoming educated is the one of the most important keys to a successful life. Being educated is not only to be skilled in math, science, social studies, and language arts, being educated also means to be skilled in your character, attitude, and decision-making. I hope, as a strong team, we continue working together, as staff and students, to become more successful, educated, and empowered!

To all Mason Academy students: I am here not only as a teacher, but also as a friend. If you ever need any help or just someone to speak to, you are always welcome to come by my classroom (Rm 133). Wish you all the best!