Sept. 29, 2023-- "The time is now. The moment has arrived. The Beast has broken free from the chains of his cage and is here within the walls and halls of Intermediate North."
Those were the ominous words of Assistant Principal Brian Blake during this morning's announcements, and what followed was the most fun and raucous moment of the young school year.
The district's "Attendance Matters" initiative has taken different forms at different schools, but none more beastly than at Intermediate North.
The school's attendance trophy-- the Beast-- is a three-tiered, chained award topped with a hulking figure which may or may not be modeled after Assistant Principal David Fanslau. It was personally forged by Blake himself. Which is to say it is definitely not plastic, but rather a 50-pound behemoth with a beast epoxied to the top.
"It's furniture solid," said Blake.
"Dry your non-victorious tears ... Toughen up. Grind it out. Set your alarm. Get yourself to school." - Intermediate North Assistant Principal Brian Blake
Following morning announcements, Blake and Fanslau, along with Principal Lynn Fronzak, wheeled the trophy through the hallways while "Eye of the Tiger" blasted through the school's speakers. Students rushed from their classrooms into the hallways to see the Beast in person, and were shocked and delighted by its stature. The Rocky theme transitioned to "We Are the Champions," because, well, that's where the Beast was headed, after all.
Mrs. Murphy's classroom, cycle 823, room C18.
The trophy will remain in room C18 until October's winner is announced, and Mrs. Murphy's students--boasting the highest attendance rate for September-- will receive a pizza party courtesy of Papa John's.
To the school's non-winners, Blake had a harsh but fair message.
"Dry your non-victorious tears and start the 21-school day march to our October beast," he said. "Toughen up. Grind it out. Set your alarm. Get yourself to school not once, not twice, but 21 times, and you might just feel the thunder of the beast and Papa John rolling into your homeroom on Halloween."
The Beast, as glorious as it is, is just one of the many ways schools throughout the district are making high attendance a high priority. It's a culture shift, a sea change, and the results have already become apparent.
There have been 2,776 fewer days absent this September than September 2022, a remarkable 18.5-percent decrease.
The district-wide attendance rate is up 1.3 points from last year, at over 95 percent.
Blake is witnessing the change in real time at Intermediate North, confirming that the school is at a 95-percent attendance rate, and "knocking on the door of number one" among intermediate schools. Behavior referrals are down. More importantly, the culture change is apparent, and there's a renewed energy in the building.
As the Beast was being transported through the hallways, students were high-fiving, laughing, oohing and ahhing. The energy was joyous and positive. Motivating. Staff, too, are fully on board.
"Teachers have done a phenomenal job of pitching in, and going with everything that's happening," said Blake.
And the school has more in store, Beast- and non-Beast related. Individual attendance champions will receive their own pizza parties and free periods with friends in the school's new Mentor Room, featuring a TV, corn hole, and other games. Individual and classroom attendance winners will have their photos taken and featured prominently in the building. There's even word a secondary Beast possibly being constructed, but that's only a rumor at this stage.
Administrators and staff members at Intermediate North and throughout Toms River Schools are out to prove that attendance does really matter, and are implementing fun and innovative methods to prove it. Along the way, they're experiencing a renewal of their own love for education, for being there.
Which is why, with the words he used to end his morning announcements to students, Blake might as well been motivating himself and his colleagues.
"Wake up, get up, and show up."
Nothing less than a Beast is at stake.