Written By: Aubrey Packer, Staff Writer
DEDICATION: Mr. DeAnda is dedicated to both improving attendance and building relationships with students.
Mr. DeAnda joined the Poly staff a few years ago and since then has made it his mission to create lasting change in attendance at Poly. In tandem with his work to improve attendance and reduce tardiness on campus, he also strives to build connections with students and provide a safe space on campus.
Mr. DeAnda’s day starts early each morning as he responds to emails and phone calls from students. When the school day begins he goes outside to give out good mornings and stickers, to put a smile on student’s faces before the day begins. He then continues to meet with students, parents, and teachers throughout the day to address a variety of issues, as “they are the frontline.” Mr. DeAnda is also tasked with the role of lunch duty, which he notes is the most beneficial part of his day. He can connect with so many different students and teach the importance of respect, sharing with students that, “whether at school or Disneyland, you can’t cut lines. It’s just the wrong thing to do.” He also has after-school duties where he works alongside our supervision staff to clear the campus after school. He then returns to the office to finish up with emails and calls. His days can be as long as 14 hours when he attends competitions and games; however, even with these long days, Mr. DeAnda gives 100% to each and every moment. He finds every part of his day important to building relationships and connections with students.
One of the most important parts of his job is ensuring students know the importance of attendance and responsibility as a whole. He hopes to be a role model by showing up each and every day with enthusiasm for his job. He expresses this important message through third period announcements where he stresses the need to handle responsibilities and do the right thing. He believes strongly that “coming to school on time every day is doing the right thing.”
So far attendance this year has been similar to last year; although, it started rocky due to a Covid outbreak during the first few weeks of the year. Under the direction of Mr. DeAnda. Poly was given an award for the attendance of their subgroups such as foster youth and homeless students. Regardless, Mr. DeAnda would like to see an uptake in the percentage of attendance by about two or three percent. Tardies, fortunately, have been down by a substantial 15 percent since last year. Mr. DeAnda and his team have worked tirelessly to implement attendance awareness through announcements, attendance awards, and Minga points.
Poly is fortunate to have Mr. DeAnda as a part of our family. His passion is contagious and that is very much appreciated.