Add attendance initiative to your beginning of the year checklist!
- dadiazarn
- Aug 4, 2023
- 2 min read
It’s the beginning of a new school year and oh so many things on your checklist. Regular attendance is one of the most important factors in elementary school students' success. Hopefully, gone are the perfect attendance awards that encourage kids to come to school sick. (The pandemic reinforced the need to stay home when you are sick.)
And we know students who attend school regularly are more likely to:
Learn more and achieve higher grades.
Develop good study habits and time management skills.
Make friends and build relationships with teachers and other students.
Feel connected to their school and community.
As a stakeholder, you can help improve attendance by:
Communicating with students and families about the importance of attendance.
Addressing any underlying issues that may be contributing to absences, such as health problems or family issues.
Creating a positive school climate that makes students feel welcome and supported.
So, what are your school's current attendance policies? How effective are they in promoting regular attendance? What changes could be made to improve the effectiveness of these policies? How can you communicate these changes to students, families, and staff? And how can you track the progress of these changes and make adjustments as needed?
Begin your campaign now. Include the importance of attendance in your getting to know you and welcome back events. Create a warm welcoming environment that communicates you care, you want students in school every day. Communicate via school newsletter, teacher welcome back packet, social media, in person the importance of having students in school when they are not sick.
Sample Attendance Beginning of the Year Letter-modify as needed.
The other day I was listening to the Principal, PLN Podcast, one of the principals shared that instead of the formal tardy slips, they use a form they created from the Handle with Care protocol that some law enforcement agencies use to notify schools that a student has witnessed or been involved in a potential trauma incident that may impact them at school. The form communicates to the child that we are glad they are here.
Remember in elementary school, typically parents are the ones that are bringing their children late to school. Our students should always feel cared for and welcome in our schools. Consider how your school welcomes students who are tardy or who have a problem with chronic absenteeism.
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