Letters: Chronic class absences can be a call for support
At Mishawaka High School, absences are more than missed classes; they signify a call for support in a time of need.
Recent data highlights a worrying trend of absenteeism at Mishawaka High School, where 34% of students in the district were chronically absent during the 2022-2023 school year. That is down from the previous year, which saw 43.9% of students chronically absent from school, but is still high.
Indiana's chronic absenteeism rate remains over 8% higher than it was before the pandemic.
Studies consistently link student attendance to academic performance. For every additional day missed, there is a decline of 0.68 in grade point average. Moreover, students missing school significantly disrupt the classroom environment, preventing peer collaboration and stifling the educational community we aim to create.
The implementation of a multi-tiered support system within the school structure stands as the most promising solution. This strategy includes reinforced counseling services, accessible health resources (physical, mental, etc.) and targeted mentorship programs tailored to individual student needs.
Similar programs deployed in districts have shown an increase in student attendance rates, and a substantial improvement in overall student engagement.
If we want these statistics to change, then it is imperative to unite and take action. Sign petitions, engage local authorities and advocate for the necessary resources to combat absenteeism. Every student's presence matters; let us stand together to ensure they feel supported and valued in their educational journey.
Dakoda Shannon
Student, Mishawaka High School
A choice
In "Women After All," Melvin Konnor explains how agriculture changed humans into genocidal killers. During hundreds of thousands of years as hunter-gatherers, humans evolved as a relatively peaceful species. When we invented agriculture, just a few thousand years ago, we suddenly had something worth killing for. The archeological record shows agriculture and genocidal warfare developing hand-in-hand.
One group would attack another, kill the men and enslave the women and children. The most effective killers and rapists had the most opportunities to pass on their genes.
In the Siberian Silver Fox Domestication Experiment, we learned that selective breeding can quickly tame a wild species or turn it into vicious hounds from Hell. But how can we tame the human race? The answer is simple.
In a modern civilized society, women have more freedom to decide who will father their children. This makes all the difference. Women are more likely to choose Mister Rogers than Atilla the Hun. The way to make the human race kinder and gentler is to protect women's right to choose.
The evolutionary process is not complete, as a quick glance at the news will verify. But I think the process is well on its way. As bad as things are today, history teaches us that things used to be much worse. I take hope in the belief that time is on the side of the good guys.
Dave Coyne
Goshen
Accomplishments
Is it possible that future historians may proclaim that our president, Joe Biden, after some 50 years in politics, should claim two accomplishments — his ability in destroying the Democratic Party and, most important, destroying the American dream?
Anthony M. Oliva
Mishawaka
Misleading
Mike Braun: Stop misleading us with your Indiana governor TV commercials.
What can you do to “send illegal immigrants home”? You’re running for governor, not president.
And what the heck is a “woke mob”?
Greg Lenburg
Plymouth
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: At Mishawaka High School, chronic absences are calls for support
