Attendance Counts

Students arrive at school in a variety of forms, from tall to short, from slim to stocky, and from about five years old to at least 18. They vary in appearance, dress, gender, and ethnicity. However, one thing remains constant for all of these children. School attendance matters.

In order to take full advantage of the multifaceted nature of school, students need to be in the academic setting nearly 100% of the time. While there are always illnesses and emergencies, student attendance is a vital component of student success. Simplistic as this may sound, it is perhaps the one component of parental support which every school needs. The parents or guardians are an essential part of ensuring that the students attend school each day. This is a task which requires a certain amount of rigor and consistency to get students into a predictable pattern for school attendance.

First and foremost, for students to attend school each and every day, they need to go to bed early enough the night before to provide an adequate night’s sleep for the day’s participation. They need to have a breakfast adequate enough to kick-start their day and provide enough energy to keep them fueled until lunch; and they need to have a safe and reliable place to study each evening, devoid of distractions and adequate in its provisions such adequate ventilation and sufficient temperature and lighting. This does not mean that students necessarily need their own room or office; it does mean that the parents need to be certain that they reinforce the importance of school by providing the basic setting for the students to study the materials given in school.

Transportation to and from school is vital. Students living within walking distance to school need to be escorted until they are of an age adequate to easily maneuver the route and avoid the hazards along the way. Students who are fortunate enough to live along a bus route must be ready and waiting to access this free transportation. As predictable as this information appears, many students miss school each and every day due to inadequate transportation. By helping students plan for the morning transit and afternoon return prior to the moment they need to access the route, the students become adept at developing routines and attending school with fidelity.

It is the fidelity with which students begin their academic careers that often sets the path in motion for the rest of their lives. Elementary students who miss school chronically are much less likely to be efficient in their learning, setting a trajectory for poor school performance and an enhanced likelihood of never

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