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Spring is upon us. And we all know what that means. Summer is right around the corner. The ability to sit still in class seems to melt away with the snow, as more and more of our students gaze out the window and dream of being outside, soaking in the sunshine.

After a winter like many of our sites witnessed—who can blame them?

But we also know, now more than ever, that it’s important for our schools to be both physically and mentally present in school and to continue building on their success.

The students are making tremendous strides in improving their attendance and are working hard to help keep it that way:

That’s why we spend our mornings welcoming every student to school. We call them (and their parents) to let them know we notice and miss them when they’re not in class. We celebratetheir achievements and improvements with parties and dances.

But improving attendance doesn’t happen in a vacuum. You know that saying “It takes a village to raise a child?” Well, it takes a village to help a child improve their attendance, too.  In addition to collaborating with teachers and principals to organize school-wide attendance incentives—we believe it’s important for our students to see that other community members are just as invested in them.

That’s why support from our partners is critical. Inviting volunteers, like the Taco Bell Foundation for Teens™ to help us greet our students is one way we can remind our students, “you matter. Your attendance matters. To us. To this community.”

Throughout this school year, more than 100 Taco Bell® employees volunteered to join us in morning greeting. Cheering on more than 3,000 students in 14 of our schools in Detroit, Miami, Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Washington, D.C., volunteers positively reinforce the scholars for arriving on time.