WATERVILLE — Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce President Kim Lindlof presented students with awards June 14 for perfect attendance at the Albert S. Hall School in Waterville through the 2018-19 academic year. The room was full of students all in good spirits, 10 of which received perfect attendance awards, and one with near perfect attendance awards, according to a news release from the chamber.

Mid-Maine Chamber partnered with the Albert S. Hall School six years ago in order to tackle the chronic absenteeism that the school was experiencing knowing that it leads to diminished learning and thus diminished grades.

Albert S. Hall School perfect attendance students were honored June 14 at the Watervilel school. Kneeling from left are Jayda Dunn and Theresa Bickford. Second row from left are Kierstyn Glidden, Ava Fortuna, Forrest Poulin, Hunter Willett, Derek Couture, Ilya Ansdell, Daniel Joler, Kyleigh Parker and Trevor Tardif. Back from left are Kristine Black, of Bangor Savings Bank; Michele Prince, of Waterville Rotary Club; Kimberly Lindlof, of Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce; and Principal Barbara Jordan.

The chamber and its partners believe in the potential of every student and want to see that maximized. To that end, the Perfect Attendance program was designed to encourage students to be present in school because it is difficult for one to learn if one is not there to listen to the instruction and participate in the discussion.

Certificates were given out monthly throughout the year by Lindlof to children who had perfect attendance month to month. To have perfect attendance for the year each student must not be tardy, have no excused or unexcused absences, and not have had early release.

First-time perfect attendance awards went to the following seven children this year: Ilya Ansdell, Theresa Bickford, Ava Fortuna, Kierstyn Glidden, Kyleigh Parker, Forrest Poulin and Hunter Willet. Near perfect attendance was given to Derek Couture, who only had one sick day the week before the end of this year for both 2017-18 and 2018-19 school years.

Additionally, there were three fifth graders who achieved two consecutive years of perfect attendance: Jayda Dunn, Daniel Joler and Trevor Tardif.

According to the release, this program could not have happened without the additional support of the mid-Maine business community. Financial support for this year’s program was provided by Bangor Savings Bank and Waterville Rotary Club.

Items that were given to the students with perfect attendance were donated by Children’s Discovery Museum, Best Western Plus, Children’s Book Cellar, Alfond Youth Center, Kennebec Savings Bank, Benton Family Fun Park, Eric’s Restaurant, Waterville Parks & Recreation, Caswell’s Liquidation Center, Subway, New Dimensions Federal Credit Union, Spellbound, Selah Tea Café, Comics Cards & Collectables, Buen Apetito, Black Cape Comics, People’s United Bank, Cappza’s Pizza, Card & Cookie of Maine and McDonald’s.

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