Shady Shores Elementary is aiming for a 98% attendance rate this year.  Every day your child is at school is a day that he learns from what is being taught. He makes connections with what has been previously learned and begins to make links to new concepts that must be mastered. There is no substitute for being in class each day.           The school has decided to put some awards in place for students who have perfect attendance at the end of each three and six week period.  Every child who has perfect attendance for those periods of time will be entered into a drawing for prizes.  Three week prizes will be such things as basketballs, soccer balls, dolls, Webkinz, skateboards, etc.  At the end of each six weeks, two bicycles will be given away--one to a girl and one to a boy.           All children with perfect attendance for the year will be entered into a drawing for a large prize--we will announce soon what it is.        The attendance for the first three weeks of school was 97.99%.  There were 622 students who did not miss a day. Congratulations to all of them.  We hope to increase that number this next three weeks. _____________________________________________________________________________________ My educational background: Wharton High School, Wharton, Texas--High School Diploma The University of Texas at Austin--B. S. in Elementary Education      Texas A & M University-Commerce--M. S. in Elementary Education Texas Woman's University--Post-graduate work in Educational Administration My certifications from the Texas State Board for Educator Certification: Professional Elementary (Grades 1-8) Provisional Elementary (Grades 1-8) Professional Reading Specialist (Grades PK-12) Professional Mid-Management Admnistrator (Grades PK-12)