SAN DIEGO — Instead of class, some students at Birney Elementary School took a limo ride to Mariposa Ice Cream Wednesday. That's because they had perfect or near-perfect attendance.
“This is probably like the best day because you get to eat ice cream and go on a limo, that’s like the best day you can ever have,” a second grader said.
The annual trip started 11 years ago and was created by Birney Elementary Principal Amanda Hammond-Williams.
“I promised a class one year that I would do a limo ride for them if they had perfect attendance and they took me up on it so I had to follow through," Hammond-Williams said. "When I did that one class I realized what a great idea it was.”
Since then, kids have been trying to get on the 'limo list' to join in on the fun. A little less than half the school, 199 students, made the list this year.
“It’s a contest for them and they want to be on the limo ride at the end of the year,” Hammond-Williams said.
Those with absences are able to make them up by attending Saturday School. Hammond-Williams said there's about 15 Saturday School sessions in the year.
“I’m so glad I did Saturday School because this is so worth it,” Phoebe said while eating her ice cream.
The tradition is keeping attendance rates up. Hammond-Williams said Birney Elementary is the second best attendance school in the district.
“It’s a fun way to talk about attendance so that you’re not always talking about chronic absenteeism, but you’re making a kind of game all year about perfect attendance,” Hammond-Williams said.
This is all thanks to the generosity of the Friends of Alice Birney Foundation, Masterpiece Limousine, Mariposa Ice Cream and school staff and parents that made it happen.
“I should thank the people that have done this, who made this because they actually made this great day and I think they did a very good job,” a second grader said.
While Hammond-Williams started the limo ride tradition, Wednesday was her last. After 22 years at Birney Elementary she is retiring, although she hopes to see the tradition continue.
For more than a decade she helped kids set a long-term goal and left them happy and proud.
“It took me months to get this and lots of Saturday School, but it was worth it," a second grader said.
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