Tips for Improving Attendance

• Attendance Works Parent Resources

• Good attendance benefits your child's education. Students who miss a day of school not only miss instruction, but must make up work and catch up with the new material at the same time. Make education a family priority and emphasize the important role education plays throughout life.

• The school bus is a consistent way to ensure your child arrives at school in a timely manner. Arriving late can be disruptive for your child, the teacher, and the other children in the class.

• Try to schedule doctor and dentist appointments on early release days, school holidays or at the beginning or end of the school day.

• Monitor your child's attendance through Parent Portal to keep track of absences. If an absence is marked incorrectly, please contact the school attendance secretary. Students must submit a note or parents must fax or email the Attendance Office within 5 school days for the student's absence to be considered excused.

• There are 180 school days out of the 365 days in a year. Therefore, families are encouraged to take vacations during the summer vacation or other school breaks throughout the year. Vacations are not considered excused absences.

• Keep in mind that patterns are formed early. It is more difficult to break a bad habit (children begging to stay home from school “just this once”) than saying “no” in the beginning.

• If there are reasons why your child is not coming to school (school phobia, relationships with peers, academic difficulties), please contact your school counselor so that the underlying issue can be addressed.

• Thank you for supporting your child’s education by encouraging good school attendance!