We want all of our Bobcats to meet with success, and attendance matters! If children don’t show up for school regularly, they miss out on fundamental reading and math skills and the chance to build a habit of good attendance that will carry them into college and careers. This is also a time to develop friendships and social/emotional skills. We need your partnership to encourage and support positive attendance trends by sending your child to school daily unless sick.  This link includes details about reporting absences and what types of absences are considered excused.

Starting this week, SFES will celebrate and focus on positive attendance by showing our “Bobcat’s Best.” Classes will work together and encourage their classmates to come to school each day so we can all learn and positively ROAR together. We know absences occur, so excused absences must be communicated to the school. We will celebrate classes as they reach milestones with whole-class attendance: 5 days, 10, 15, etc., of all students present (minus excused absences).

You can read more about the importance of attendance and what you can do to support your children at this link and reviewing the listed items below from Attendance Works. 

DID YOU KNOW?

• Starting in preschool and kindergarten, too many absences can cause children to stay caught up in school. 
• Missing 10%, or about two days each month over a school year, can make it harder to learn to read. 
• Students can still fall behind if they miss just one or two days every few weeks.
• Being late to school may lead to poor attendance. 
• Absences and tardiness can affect the classroom if the teacher slows down learning to help children catch up. 
• Attending school regularly helps children feel better about school—and themselves. Start building this habit in preschool so they learn immediately that attending school on time every day is essential. Eventually, good attendance will be a skill that will help them succeed in high school and college. 

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

• Set a regular bedtime and morning routine.
• Lay out clothes and pack backpacks the night before. 
• Keep your child healthy and make sure your child has the required shots.
• Introduce your children to their teachers and classmates before school starts.
• Develop backup plans for getting to school if something comes up. Call on a family member, a neighbor, or another parent. 
• Try to schedule non-urgent related medical appointments and extended trips when school isn’t in session. 
• If your child seems anxious about going to school, talk to teachers, school counselors, and other parents for advice on how to make your child feel comfortable and excited about learning.
• Call your school or health care provider for advice if you are concerned that your child may have a contagious illness.
• If your child must stay home due to illness, ask the teacher for resources and ideas to continue learning at home.

https://www.attendanceworks.org/resources/handouts-for-families-2/