Humphries Elementary School Celebrates Students with Perfect and Near Perfect Attendance

227 students at Humphries Elementary School had perfect attendance or missed less than three days of school during the first semester. The students were honored at a ceremony at the school on Friday.

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School attendance is vital for academic success, and it is really serious business at Humphries Elementary School. On Friday, 96 students with perfect attendance, along with 131 more with no more than three absences during the first semester, were honored for their dedication to coming to school.

During the hour-long ceremony, students received a certificate and were treated to

Teenage rapper Que 9 performed at the Humphries Elementary School celebration for students with perfect or near perfect attendance.

Christmas cookies and apple cider, while teenage rapper Que 9 made a surprise appearance and performed his hit single “Red Light, Green Light.” Parents who were winners of a lottery drawing received their gift – a $50 American Express gift card – and CIGNA Healthcare executives Helen Glenn, Thomas Hunter-James and Reggie White gave words of encouragement.

CIGNA Healthcare is one of Humphries Elementary’s community partners, and provided the school with funding to purchase one Christmas present for all 227 students with perfect or near-perfect attendance.

“At some point I hope it will become intrinsic,” said Humphries Elementary Principal Melanie Mitchell. “When they leave and go to middle school [attendance] may not be celebrated as large, I hope they remember the message that it is important to be in school every day. When you show up and you are accountable, that’s a skill that we all need.”

CIGNA Healthcare executives Thomas Hunter-James (far left), Helen Glenn (second from right), and Reggie White (far right), helped provide Christmas presents for all 227 Humphries Elementary students with perfect or near perfect attendance. Humphries Elementary Principal Melanie Mitchell (second from the left) presented the gifts to students on Friday.