Teen makes headlines once again for perfect school attendance

By Mary Dennehy

A TALLAGHT teen who featured in The Echo five years ago for not missing one day of primary school is again making headlines, after she maintained a clean attendance sheet in secondary school too.

Nikita Stokes (16), from Jobstown, missed no days of school when in St Thomas’s national school, with the dedicated student now being awarded for her 100 per cent attendance in secondary school as well.

A Leaving Cert Applied student in Tallaght Community School, Nikita has been accepted to Greenhills College for a Post Leaving Certificate in Nursing – due to high marks in her ongoing assessment work.

When asked how she managed not to miss one day, Nikita said: “I really enjoy school, I like coming in. My friends are here, I get on with the teachers and I think it’s important to go to school if you are given the opportunity.”

This Friday at the Tallaght Community School graduation, Nikita will be awarded for impeccable attendance alongside fellow student Michal Grodzien (18) – who also maintained a clean attendance sheet from First to Sixth Year in Tallaght Community School.

Michal, who is one of 120 students graduating from Tallaght Community School this Friday, told The Echo: “I think it’s very important to come to school and it definitely made a difference to my grades – it made it easier to learn and I found it easier to remember information.

“I was sick over the years but I still came in. I enjoyed secondary school and Tallaght Community School was a nice place to be.”

Grainne Duffy, the Leaving Cert Applied year head at Tallaght Community School, explained how the school has a number of students that have “excellence attendance” – which she believes is key to succeeding in studies.

“High attendance directly correlates to high achievers, it’s so important that young people come to school – and enjoy being here.

“We have a number of students who have excellence attendance right across all the year groups and they are all recognised.

“Alongside students, parents are key to good attendance and the role that parents play in encouraging and supporting their children in coming to school should be applauded – from getting them up in the morning to making lunches and buying books and uniforms.

“It really is a joint effort, with the school also having a role to play in creating a pleasant, positive place for learning.”