Attendance and Records

Daily Attendance Benefits:

By attending class regularly, your child is more likely to keep up with the daily lessons and assignments, and take quizzes and tests on time.  Other benefits include:

Achievement: Students who attend school regularly are more likely to pass reading and math assessments than students who don’t.

Community: Just by being present at school, your child is learning how to be a good citizen by participating in the school community, learning valuable social skills, and developing a broader world view.

Exposure: Regular school attendance and experience with the English language can also help students who are learning English by giving them a chance to master the skills and information they need more quickly and accurately even in other subjects.

Importance: Your commitment to school attendance will also send a message to your child that education is a priority for your family, is a critical part of educational success, and that it’s important to take responsibilities seriously.

A Parent’s Role:

As a parent or guardian, it is possible to plan ahead in order to limit your child’s absences, make school attendance a priority and help keep your child from falling behind if it is necessary to miss school.  Students who miss days, weeks, or months of school at a time will have a difficult time passing their courses and catching up to their peers.  Here are some suggestions:

Be on time: Babysitting, car problems, and weather are not permissible reasons to miss school.  Frequent tardies may be noted on your child’s permanent record, and will make it difficult for your child to stay caught up with the first lessons of each morning.  Teach your child how to set and use an alarm clock, and keep the television turned off in the morning.

Follow guidelines: Review school rules at the beginning of the school year and make sure you understand the attendance policy and who you need to call if your child is going to be absent.

Good health: Make sure that your child eats a balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables, and has opportunities to exercise every day through a sports team or play time outside.  Allow your child to stay home only in the case of fever, contagious or severe illnesses.

Check homework: Check each night to see that your child understands and complete the day’s homework assignments.

Be active: Stay involved with your child’s daily experiences at school by asking how the day went, and then listen carefully to what your child share with you, both successes and struggles.  Make it a point to meet your child’s teachers and friends.

Keep updated: Read the school documents your child brings home and take note of important announcement and dates, such as back-to-school night and parent-teacher conferences.

Be proactive: If your child frequently appears upset or reluctant to go to school and cannot tell you why, schedule an appointment with his or her teacher or school counselor to talk about possible sources of the anxiety.

Plan ahead: Encourage your child to prepare for the next school day by laying out clothes the night before and helping to prepare lunches.

Schedule wisely: If possible, avoid scheduling doctor, dentist or other such appointments during the school day.  Plan holiday celebrations or family trips during weekends of school vacations.  In the case of family emergencies or unexpected trips, talk to your child’s teachers as far in advance as possible and set up a way that your child can work ahead or bring important homework on the trip.

Rest: Finally, make sure that your child can relax before bedtime by doing something quiet like reading rather than watching television.  Ensure that your child gets enough quality sleep (ideally 8-10 hours).  Getting enough sleep will help them get up on time, be refreshed in the morning and feel ready for a full day of learning ahead!

By making your child’s school attendance a priority, you will be taking an important step in supporting your child’s school success and setting a good example.  Remember, attendance counts!!