Each freshman was given a picture frame with a note inside that displayed their graduation date in 2016. Students and teachers signed each other’s notes and placed them in the frames as a reminder to keep your eyes on the prize and graduate from high school and achieve future dreams.

“One of the most important moments in the life of a parent is to see their son or daughter graduate high school with their diploma,” said Dr. Wayne Kindle, principal at YHS. “This is a goal and an expectation we share here at Yankton High School.”

The note from Dr. Kindle reads:

“Please accept this gift as a small token of my appreciation for your attending Yankton High School. More importantly, I hope this picture frame will serve as a reminder about the importance of graduation. Your high school years will go by very quickly and graduation Sunday will be here soon.

“Graduation from Yankton High School is an expectation and is something your family has looked forward to since you entered Kindergarten. We share your goal of graduating with your class. Enjoy the next four years at YHS. Mark your calendar!”

It also lists the graduation date of May 22, 2016.

Amy Miner, one of the freshman homeroom teachers, said she thinks the note is a great idea.

“The picture frames should really help students encourage them for what they want,” she said. “It will help them accomplish their goals in high school and in the future.”

She added that the frames should help students focus, especially with their first grading term just about a week away.

“This is a really wonderful focusing tool,” Miner added. “The theory is that they’ll place them somewhere and periodically look at them for encouragement and to see the encouraging notes peers wrote for them. If they manage to get the frames home and safe, they will serve as a wonderful inspiration.”

Tanner Dykstra, a freshman at YHS, said he is excited about the picture frames.

“It makes me really excited to graduate,” he said. “It will keep motivating me throughout high school.”

He added that he will place the frame in his bedroom.

Heather Olson, another freshman homeroom teacher, said the frames should have a positive impact on students.

“Some students still can’t believe that graduation is coming up in a few years,” she said. “The students will write their goals on the frame and then look at them every so often. It helps when they can visually see a graduation date.”

Freshman Skylar Elle said he thinks the frame will really help him throughout high school.

“It’s a really good idea and will be a good motivation for students,” he said. “It should help kids in school and will encourage me to keep getting good grades.”

Kindle said he hopes the frames help students to keep their goals in mind and keep them on track to graduate in 2016.

“We know the four-year journey in high school begins in the student’s ninth grade year,” he said. “When I became principal here six years ago, we had a high number of freshman students failing more than one class and becoming in jeopardy of not graduating with their class in four years. Since that time, we have put our arms around this issue through our Freshman Focus program.”

The goal of the program is to help students stay on track to graduate.

“Along with other components, including the improvement of attendance, homework completion, student responsibility and keeping the goal of graduation as a focus, we have made great progress,” Kindle added. “We also credit our wonderful teachers for the great things they do for our students at YHS.”

He noted that the graduation rate has risen to 96 percent this past year, while the state average is at 81.5 percent.

“I wanted something to remind our students of their graduation goal,” Kindle said. “I thought a photo frame would serve as an ongoing reminder of this.”

Kindle thanked the Yankton Morning Optimist Club and the Yankton Wal-Mart for their contributions to assist in funding the picture frame project.

“Students can use their personal comments or goals as a time capsule of sorts, which they can look at when they get to their senior year and place their senior photo in the frame,” Kindle said.

Cody Dejong said the picture frames will help him over the next several years.

“The frame is going to help to accomplish bigger, better things in high school,” he said. “It will really help me a lot to get better grades.”

You can follow Andrew Atwal on Twitter at twitter.com/andrewatwal