School Attendance = Academic Success!

Showing up for school on time, everyday helps students succeed. Research shows that children who miss 10% or more of the school year are far more likely not to be good readers in 3rd grade. School habits are learned at a young age and I would like to share the importance of getting children to school every day. Our Kindergarten through 2nd grade absenteeism rate is as high as those in high school. Many of these absences are excused, but they still add up to a lost time in the classroom. Why it 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. Preliminary data from a California study found that children who were chronically absent in kindergarten and 1st grade were far less likely to read proficiently at the end of 3rd grade.

Many parents and students don’t realize how quickly early absences can add up to academic trouble. In Kindergarten through 2nd grade we teach our students the foundational skills of Reading and Math. It is very important that students are in the classrooms learning these foundational skills.

At Woodland we will have assemblies honoring good behavior and good attendance. The NED Show is scheduled for December 10th. NED stands for “Never give up, Encourage others, Do your best”. We are promoting positive behaviors and high attendance rates. Students who demonstrate positive behaviors and attend school on a regular basis will be rewarded.

It is important to keep your child home from school when they are sick or contagious, but we are encouraging parents to send their child to school on a regular basis, and understand the importance of being in school. The benefits of regular attendance in these early educational years will pay off in the education years to come for the students. Thank you to the parents who send your child to school on time and ready to learn on a regular basis. Thank you to the community members and those that support helping families with needs so that they are able to send their child to school ready to learn. We are blessed to be part of such a community!