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Attend to Achieve: Attendance Guidelines

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Attendance Matters – for All Students, in Every School

It's a fact: Students who attend school regularly learn more and are more successful in school than students who do not. Furthermore, children who develop good attendance habits in the early grades will be more likely to continue them throughout their school career and well into their chosen career.

Regular attendance is critically important because students who miss school miss out on carefully planned sequences of instruction, active learning experiences, class participation, and the opportunity to ask questions. As a result, tey are more likely to fall behind and are more likely to drop out.

Ultimately, parents who make regular school attendance a priority are also helping their children learn to accept responsibility: an important lesson for a successful life. 

COMMIT TO ATTEND AND SIGN THE PLEDGE

Required

To make sure every child has a fair chance to learn and succeed, no matter their background or situation, we are focused on reducing absences and tackling the reasons why students miss school.

We understand that attendance can be influenced by various factors, such as economic conditions, cultural backgrounds, language barriers, and disabilities. To address these challenges, it is crucial for us to work together to create a welcoming and equitable school environment. By doing so, we can better support students and encourage regular attendance and active learning.

We invite students, families, staff, and community members from all backgrounds to join us in this effort and share their unique perspectives to improve our school community. 

Parent/Guardian will:

  • Support my child’s on-time arrival and regular school attendance
  • Encourage my child’s efforts in reading, writing, and mathematics
  • Listen to my child read almost every day
  • Keep open lines of communication with school staff

Student will:

  • Attend school regularly
  • Work hard and try my best at home and school
  • Ask for help when I need it 

Staff will:

  • Provide a safe, caring environment for learning 
  • Communicate together as a team to support each other
  • Provide opportunities for students, parents, and staff to collaborate for student success 
Namerequired
First Name
Last Name
I am:required
Student Pledgerequired
Staff Pledgerequired
Parent/Guardian Pledgerequired

Keep Students Engaged and Excited About School

Student Absences and Truancy

Definitions

The following are definitions of key terms related to the types of student absences and truancy. 

How to Avoid Truancy

  1. Report Absences: To ensure accurate attendance, please notify the school before 9:30 a.m. if your child is absent. You can now report absences through the Parent Portal for added convenience. Simply log in, click on the Absence Request Button, enter the details, and submit.

    • Students who are absent without a parent’s or guardian’s excuse may have their absence marked as unexcused, which could lead to truancy concerns.

  2. Doctor’s Appointments: The school encourages parents to schedule doctor and dental appointments after school hours.

    • If a student has excessive absences due to health, parents or guardians may need to provide supporting documentation to excuse the absences. 

  3. Requests to Leave School: Parents or guardians must notify the Front Office if their child needs to leave for an appointment. To have the absence considered excused, parents or guardians must check out the student through the Front Office. Students who leave school without prior parental consent and without checking out through the office will have their absences marked as unexcused.

  4. School Activities:  Students who take part in school-sponsored athletic and academic events are proudly representing their school and are not marked absent (except during summer school). To fully benefit from their educational experience, they should make up any missed assignments and attend school on the day of the activity to remain eligible for participation.

  5. Withdrawal for Non-Attendance: Before a student is withdrawn for non-attendance, we will use a variety of supportive strategies to address the issue. We will document all efforts, including phone calls, home visits, and written communications. Our goal is to work closely with families to find solutions and support the student’s continued success. If needed, we will also follow legal requirements by reporting any cases of abuse or neglect to the Division of Youth Services. Our commitment is to provide the best support and resources to help every student thrive.