The Chula Vista Elementary School District recognizes National Attendance Month to raise awareness of the importance of students attending class daily. Showing up to class matters for R.E.A.L. because it’s an opportunity to:
- Build Routines - Daily attendance routines can reduce stress, increase your child’s self-confidence, and lay a foundation for good attendance in later grades.
- Increase Engagement - Participation in school helps your child connect with other children and adults and get excited about learning.
- Access to resources - Schools can give you access to meals, physical and mental health care, other supports, and fun enrichment activities (sports, clubs, music, afterschool and summer programs, etc.).
- Support Learning - Children learn best from hands-on activities and meaningful interactions with their teacher and other students.
Promoting positive attendance habits early on is critical to student achievement and success. Did you know that students who miss two or more school days within the first month are more likely to have excessive absences throughout the year? Parents are a child’s first teacher. Talk to your child about attending school every day and the importance of it. Attendance matters because education matters!
What is a chronic absence? Students are identified as chronically absent when they have missed 10% or more days for excused and unexcused absences about the total days enrolled for any given school year.
What is truancy? If a student’s attendance record shows any combination of the following:
- Three unexcused absences
- Three unexcused tardies (each over thirty minutes)
- Three unexcused early dismissals without valid excuse (each more than 30-minutes)
School attendance is required by law (CA Ed Code 48200). Parents/guardians of children between the ages of six and eighteen are responsible for sending their children to school daily and on time. When students attend class regularly and on time, opportunities for successful learning increase; consequently, the importance of regular on-time attendance cannot be overemphasized.
How can you help your student?
- Make sure students come to school well rested with a good night’s sleep.
- Allow plenty of time to get ready, get out the door, and transition to school.
- Have clothes and shoes ready and homework in the backpack the night before.
- Call the school for each day of illness or injury.
- Bring doctor notes to the school office the day after an appointment.
- Respond to school messages about your student’s attendance.
- Talk with the teacher and principal if your student has concerns about attending school.
Questions? Contact your school’s office for more information.