“Success is where preparation and opportunity meet.” - Bobby Unser, Racecar Driver
We all want to be successful, and parents dream that their
children will find even more success than they have. The world is full of opportunities for those
who are prepared to meet them, and the first step towards that preparation is
simple: regular school attendance. Young people may tire of the question, “What
do you want to be when you grow up.” The
truth is – they don’t need to know that yet.
What they do need to know is that the better they do in school, the more
prepared they’ll be when an opportunity presents itself.
In a push to better support our school sites in efforts to
address chronic absenteeism, the District Attendance Team meets monthly to
bring together key players from various departments with a common vision. The goal of this team is to provide guidance
and support to staff members working to improve attendance at our schools by
increasing understanding and calibrating of tiered supports for attendance,
establishing a toolkit for sites at each level (elementary, middle, and high),
and sharing best practices. School staff
members are also invited to participate in the District Attendance Team, and
all input is welcome – we are all here to support our students and families!
If you or someone you know struggles with getting to school
on time every day, here are a few tips that may be helpful:
- Establish a regular bedtime routine, and make sure you’re getting enough sleep.
- Put screens away (TV, computer, phone, tablets) before preparing to go to bed. Turn off any phone notifications that may disturb you.
- If you use your phone as an alarm clock, put it across the room so you physically have to get out of bed to turn it off.
- Poor attendance is usually a symptom of other issues. Our school sites are rich with resources and support. Connect yourself to someone who can help – school counselor, nurse, etc., and take advantage of tutoring, counseling, CASSAS (Saturday School), and anything else that can help you stay on track to a bright and successful future!
