School Attendance
Students need to be in school every day to stay on track. Teachers' lesson plans are carefully constructed to introduce new concepts, reinforce them with learning activities, and then move on to new skills and ideas. When children aren't in school, they fall behind. And the more days they miss, the harder it is to catch up. That's where parents come in!!
Report in: Schools are required to track attendance of every child every day. It is essential that you call in and report absences in a timely manner. Also call if children are going to be late or need to be picked up early.
Get the work: When you know ahead of time that school will be missed, make arrangements with the classroom teacher so that work can either be completed early or made up upon return to class. Be sure that your child follows through on missing assigments.
How sick is sick? It is often hard to determine when to keep your child at home. Please refer to the guidelines in the handbook for specific information. If children don't feel well, they don't perform well in school. We also do not want illnesses spread to other children.
Faking it? If you do not see real symptoms, send your child to school. You will be notified from school if your child is ill. Please make sure that we have working phone numbers so that you may be contactd during the day should your child become ill and need to go home.
Vacation Plans: It is tempting to take your children out of school for family vacations, but it may not be the best decision. Much class and school work is missed that is difficult to make up. Instructional time is valuable. Let your children know that you value education and place it as a priority.
Appointments: Make appointments for after school times if at all possible. Taking children out of school early or arriving late disrupts their day.
Finally, remember to always stress to your child that attendance at school is important for their school success. You'll be helping them to succeed, both in school and in life.
