A new academic and attendance program is slated to begin in all classes next week.

The HAT program focuses on student attendance and academic effort, Mr. Derek Lambert said in his roll-out to the school community March 10 during the Live LCN Newscast.

The HAT program stands for Homework, Attendance and Tardies told students and faculty during the program.

Teachers are to keep track of class-by-class effort in these targeted areas.  If all members of the class come to class on time and prepared for the lesson with homework completed, the class will earn a mark on the laminated chart handed out to teachers after school March 9.

Lambert said at the end of a specified period of time, the class with the most charted marks (per teacher) will earn a small class reward provided by the teacher.  At the end of the month, Lambert said a larger reward will be given to the upstairs and downstairs class with the best HAT statistics.

Students and teachers were given a chance to call-in with questions about the new program during the live newscast Friday morning.

Many students’ questions pertained to how attendance and tardies would be counted toward the program.

Lambert told students that any absence–excused, school-related, suspensions or unexcused–would make them absent for the class as it relates to documentation for the HAT program.  He noted that school-related activities would still be excused toward semester exams, and that the attendance policy had not changed.

Some were concerned about how late buses, school activities, sickness and family emergencies would be counted in the HAT program.  Student athletes were concerned about early dismissals.

He said the HAT program was an incentive discussed by the leadership committee to get students to class on time and prepared–three targeted weaknesses in the school.

Teachers will begin tracking homework, attendance and tardies for the HAT program Monday, March 13.