They might just be here in the classrooms of Baltimore County Public Schools. To promote the importance of attendance – being in school on time and every day, the school system coordinated its first ever student attendance commercial contest. More than 43 entries were received from elementary, middle and high school students and student groups around the county, and the winners are: newsVideo-
 
Essex Elementary School – the WEPN morning news crew: https://vimeo.com/142513421
Kristine Frank, library media specialist, and Tracy Skeels, art teacher, Kiersten Bisson, and fifth graders Ezzah Chaudhry, Amber Jourdan, Ciara Regulski and Trevor Valentijn.

Parkville High School – a theatre class: https://vimeo.com/142513422
Steve Devorah, English teacher, Maurice Caldwell,  12th graders
Isaiah Downes, Erin Emerick, Dora Hernandez, Tauheed McKelton, Caitlyn Mulville, Amanda Nweke, Brandi Rosenberger, Luke Thomas and.Scott Whitman and 10th graders Gaelan Carter, Destiny Smith and Coady Williams. Franklin High School was also announced as a winner.

The winning entries will be shown on both www.bcps.org and BCPS-TV (on Verizon FiOS 73 and Comcast Cable 34 in Baltimore County). Each group that produced a winning video will receive $100 each, provided by the Education Foundation of Baltimore County Public Schools (from private business partners’ donations).

“We were thrilled with the number of entries and their variety," says Mychael Dickerson, chief communications officer for BCPS. “Everyone who participated in making these commercials is a winner because they spent time thinking about the importance of good attendance and how to promote it, and because they took the time to express their ideas creatively."

Entries were judged by members of the BCPS Department of Communications and Community Outreach on the basis of effectiveness, technical quality, and creativity.