Attendance is Important

ATTENDANCE: A Key to Your Student’s Success

Schools are responsible for teaching your child. But schools cannot do their job if your child is absent. Learning builds day by day. A student who misses a day of school misses a day of learning. Being late can also hurt a student’s learning. A student who is 10 minutes late every day will miss 30 hours of instruction during the year.

Research shows that students who are in school most of the time do better on standardized tests as well as course material. Notes can be copied and assignments can be made-up but absent students can never get back what is most important: the discussions, the questions, the explanations by the teacher and the thinking that makes learning come alive.

Here are some ideas on how to improve your child’s attendance:

• Talk with your child about the importance of attending school.
• Avoid scheduling family trips or doctor appointments during school hour.
• Make sure your child stays healthy by eating nutritious food and getting enough sleep and exercise.
• Don’t accept excuses for why your child “must” miss or be late for school.
• Discuss what happens during your child’s school day.
• Support school rules and consequences for skipping class and being tardy.
• Show that education is important and that school is a priority.
• Know what is going on at school and in your child’s classes by reading the newsletters, checking the team website and Alma and communicating with teachers.
  
  

Your child’s success in school depends on having a solid educational background – one that can only be gained through regular school attendance.

The PARENT Institute
WWW.parent-institute.com