Attending School Keeps Students on Track
Students need to be in school every day to stay on track. Teachers’ lesson plans are carefully constructed to introduce new concepts, reinforce them with learning activities, and then move on to new skills and ideas. When children aren’t in school, they fall behind. The more days they miss, the harder it is to catch up. At Canyon View, we have a new math program that follows the new Common CORE Standards that have been adopted by over 70% of the states in the U.S. When students are learning to read, write, and do math, they need to be present for the lessons being taught at school so they can be successful and build foundational skills.
That’s where you come in. If you can help us by following the guidelines below, your child has a better chance of keeping up with the work he or she misses.
Report Absences to the School
Schools are required to track the attendance of every child in every classroom every day. It is essential that you always contact the school if your child is going to be late for class, will need an early dismissal, or will be absent.
Get the Work
If you know ahead of time that your child will miss class, give the teachers plenty of notice so they can provide your child with make-up work to do. Be sure that your child follows through; you need to be his or her “teacher” on those days, so be available to explain concepts or monitor the work. If your child is out unexpectedly due to illness or other reasons, in addition to contacting the school office, make arrangements with your child’s teachers to pick up a packet of work/assignments from the school. If lengthy absences are expected (surgery, for example), alert the teacher as soon as you know, and be sure to get updated assignments and work packets throughout your child’s absence.
Religious Absences
It is inevitable that some families’ important religious observances fall on school days. Let your child’s teacher know early in the year precisely which days your child is not attending or is in need of an early dismissal.
How Sick Is Too Sick?
It’s impossible to say categorically when a child should go to school or stay home. However, one typical guideline is that a child is usually fine to attend school if his or her fever is under 100°F and there is no rash, “pink eye,” nausea, or diarrhea. The decision to keep a child home from school is best made between you and your child’s health care provider. If the doctor or nurse recommends that your child stay home, find out exactly how long and on what conditions he or she can return to class (e.g., after 24 hours of antibiotics).
Faking It?
If your child is complaining of a fever, but you’re suspicious, make sure to stay in the room the entire time the child’s temperature is being taken. A child complaining of nausea is typically paler in color and slightly sweaty, and usually needs to vomit more than once. Send your child to school if you don’t see a real symptom, knowing that the school will contact you if things change. Also, be alert if your child seems to be “sick” on school days but always rebounds for the weekend.
Vacation Plans
It’s tempting to pull your kids from school for a family trip, but it’s a bad idea. Why? First, it gives your children the impression that their schooling is not your top priority. Also, when they miss class work, even if you ask for make-up work to be sent home ahead of time, they can fall behind because they’re missing many hours of instructional time each day. Instead of thinking of how you can miss the crowds by taking trips during the school year, think about what it could be costing your child in the long run.
Check Those Appointments
Schedule your kids’ doctor and dental appointments for afterschool hours or weekends unless there’s an emergency. Schedule your children’s twice-yearly dental appointment during winter and summer breaks, and schedule school physicals, immunizations, and other routine care for school holidays or summer break.
Finally, remember to show and tell your children that attendance is important - whether it’s as a child in school or as an adult on the job. You’ll be helping them succeed both in school and in life.
***Article written by Sharon Okumura and information gathered from NAESP Report to Parents news article 2010.
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