Written by Krystal Williams            

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aturday Academy may become Lincoln's hot spot for the weekends. Effective December 2009, due to excessive tardiness, the administration has created a new attendance policy requiring some students to make up for the learning missed. Since this school year began, many are saying the number of people arriving late is ridiculous, and that something needs to be done about it. According to our Site Tech, Mrs.Senta Delgado, the current number of tardies from September 8, 2009 to December 18, 2009 is 41,342. The total number is actually higher, but is difficult to figure out since many have started making them up.

Saturday Academy will take place every other Saturday (go to www.lincolnhighsd.net for a schedule). When you arrive to the Academy, you must sign in, you will then be placed in a classroom for four hours. Within the four hours, you are given the chance to make up missed assignments or work on any school related tasks. Senior Allenaysia Johnson said, "Going to Saturday Academy wasn't that bad. I got a chance to catch up on a lot of work."

Students are put on the "Tardy List" list if they have more than ten tardies or absences. Attending Saturday Academy will erase up to eight tardies or one absence and four tardies. Not attending Saturday Academy can affect you negatively. You can lose participation in athletic activities, field trips, arts activities, dances, and class activities. Principal Ana Alvarez stated, “Seniors with over 10 tardies from each semester will not be allowed to participate in senior activities.”  You may also fall behind in classes if you do not make up the work you missed because of poor attendance. 

Centers have come up with the same policies, so students with tardy issues are advised to communicate with their center and find out what they need to do to take care of business. The only way for improvement to fully occur is do what Kim Zolciak has been singing about, "Don't Be Tardy for the Party!"