Attendance

Attendance matters just as much in kindergarten as it does in high school. Here are a few things we know about why this is so important:

• Children with good attendance are more likely to be successful in school.
• Children who are chronically absent in kindergarten and first grade are much less likely to read at grade level by the end of third grade (which is an important benchmark).

Overall, attending school and arriving on time each day make a significant difference in your student's future. 

• Students who are absent miss out on key instruction time and have a harder time making up assignments and tests.
• Being late means that your student starts the day behind.
• Both scenarios can mean more work for teachers, who may have to repeat instructions or make special accommodations for test retakes, etc.
• This can also take away from instruction time for the students who arrived on time.  

The State of Oregon asks schools to aim for a 95% or higher attendance rate every day.  Unexcused absences will count against that rate and will prompt contact from the school when they start to add up. 

Because it's so important, we are asking all families to help us make sure your students are in school as much as they possibly can be. 

• Of course, we know illness happens, and we don't want students in school who are seriously ill.
• Families are asked to please call the school's attendance secretary to alert the school of an excused absence. This can be done up to three days after the day in question.

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If your student has unexcused absences, your school will contact you:

• Attendance calls: The attendance system will make automated calls regarding all students with unexcused absences. 
• Letters home: Schools will also be contacting families when their student may be at risk of being chronically absent or tardy. The hope is that this information can help families to understand how these absences or tardies can add up.