Regular school attendance is important for academic success. When students are absent, they miss valuable information and lessons. Our system-wide goal is to improve local school attendance at every grade level.
Here are some suggestions and tips for parents to help their child succeed at school:
- Reinforce the value and importance of good attendance from the time your child enrolls in school.
- Encourage and help your child prepare for school each evening. Packing backpacks, preparing lunch and selecting clothes the night before can reduce morning stress.
- Designate an appropriate bedtime for your child and STICK TO IT!
- Praise your child when he/she exhibits good attendance and promptness.
- No TV on school mornings.
- Teach kids to set and use their own alarm clock or clock radio.
- Have kids bathe or shower in the evening.
- If your child does not want to go to school, find out why and work with your school and child to address concerns.
- Have your child walk to school or the bus stop with another child who is always on time.
- Have your child go to bed 10 minutes earlier and get up 10 minutes earlier.
- Help your child relax before bedtime with a story, instead of the stimulation of television.
If your child must miss school, please remember the following:
- Call the school to let them know your child will be absent.
- If your child is absent due to illness and visits the doctor, remember to ask for a physician statement. This excuse should state the child was too ill to attend school.
- Many times children will “forget” to turn in the doctor’s statement once they return to school. Please check to see if your child did turn the note in.
- If your child must miss school due to a dental/orthodontist appointment, please turn in the statement from the dentist/orthodontist so this may be an excused absence.
- If your child is tardy (arriving late, leaving early or returning to school after an appointment) an adult must sign them in/out at the school office.