Casey Rittenhouse, a financial services representative at the Northwest Georgia Bank Financial Centre in Fort Oglethorpe, rewards third-grade teacher Joanie Christol's classroom at Boynton Elementary School for perfect attendance and punctuality. Since 2004, Northwest Georgia Bank has sponsored Boynton Elementary School's BUCS (Because U Came to School) Attendance Program with an annual $1,500 donation. On a weekly basis, Northwest Georgia Bank employees make surprise visits to classrooms that have perfect attendance and no tardies for that day. On a monthly basis, students with perfect attendance earn a chance in a drawing for a $10 gift card to Wal-Mart. One winner is drawn per grade level and recognized during morning announcements. Students earning perfect attendance for the school year are rewarded with a field trip to the Chattanooga IMAX Theater, popcorn, and soft drinks. The BUCS program is one of five recognition programs sponsored by Northwest Georgia Bank in local schools. These programs reward students for good attendance, good behavior/academics, and/or displaying good character traits. This is the fifth year the Bank has funded these programs in Catoosa County and the first year for programs in Hamilton County. Administrators at each Catoosa school affirm significant gains in attendance thanks to these programs.

Rhonda Edwards, manager of the Ooltewah-Collegedale branch of Northwest Georgia Bank, presents a check for $500 to Tom Arnold, Ooltewah Elementary School principal, and Snowhill Elementary School officials, from left, Danna Thorne, assistant principal; Shane Harwood, principal; and Louise Smith, secretary. The donations are half of a $1,000 pledge to each school for the 2008-09 year to begin attendance recognition programs. Named SOAR (Student Outstanding Attendance Rewards) after the schools' winged mascots, the program rewards students with perfect attendance every six weeks, as well as at year's end. Northwest Georgia Bank also sponsors three recognition programs in Catoosa County: the BUCS program at Boynton Elementary, the GAIN (Great Attendance Is Necessary) program at West Side Elementary, and the Renaissance program at Ringgold Primary School, which also rewards students for good conduct, character, and academic performance.

Rhonda Edwards, manager of the Ooltewah-Collegedale branch of Northwest Georgia Bank, presents a check for $500 to Tom Arnold, Ooltewah Elementary School principal, and Snowhill Elementary School officials, from left, Danna Thorne, assistant principal; Shane Harwood, principal; and Louise Smith, secretary. The donations are half of a $1,000 pledge to each school for the 2008-09 year to begin attendance recognition programs. Named SOAR (Student Outstanding Attendance Rewards) after the schools' winged mascots, the program rewards students with perfect attendance every six weeks, as well as at year's end. Northwest Georgia Bank also sponsors three recognition programs in Catoosa County: the BUCS program at Boynton Elementary, the GAIN (Great Attendance Is Necessary) program at West Side Elementary, and the Renaissance program at Ringgold Primary School, which also rewards students for good conduct, character, and academic performance.

As part of the SOAR program, Northwest Georgia Bank employees from the Ooltewah-Collegedale branch present rewards from the prize cart to Snow Hill Elementary fifth-graders for perfect attendance. From left, are Melissa Myers, financial services representative, Northwest; Julie Edwards; Michael Williams; Izabella Smith; Dani Silvey; Autumn Lloyd; Rhonda Edwards, branch manager, Northwest; Ariel Couch and Alexis Green.

The Snowhill Elementary donations for the SOAR program this fall continue a relationship begun last spring by Lori Emrey, who works part-time in finance at Northwest Georgia Bank's main branch in Ringgold and also serves as PTA treasurer for Snowhill Elementary. On May 21, the Bank sponsored the school's Awards Day with a $350 donation. Ooltewah-Collegedale manager Rhonda Edwards attended the ceremony and presented the Most Outstanding Student Award to fifth-grader Katie Morris along with $100. Other student awards sponsored by Northwest included: Betty Langham Extraordinary Effort Award-$50, Jessie Lawhorn; Image Award-$50 each, Ally Hair and Jarod Hobbs; Pam Womack Physical Fitness Award-$50, Cameron Baltimore; Vivian Woods Most Improved Award-$50, Cody Brown.

Sue Massingill, assistant manager at Northwest Georgia Bank's main branch in Ringgold, presents a $1,500 check to Ringgold Primary School officials Michael Roach, music teacher and school coordinator for Partnership 2000; and Leigh Ann Lane, assistant principal. The money will be used to fund the school's Renaissance program that recognizes students for good attendance, behavior, and academics, along with displaying good character traits.