Tips for Families to Support School Attendance

Families who need help getting their child to school as well as being successful in school should reference the tips below.

Support your child to be successful in school

Help your child understand that school is their very first job!

• Make great school attendance a priority for your child.
• Talk to your child about the importance of daily attendance in every class and how it helps his/her learning. 
• When students miss so much school they will not be prepared for Kindergarten, learning to read by the third grade, failing courses in middle school, and dropping out of high school.  

Help your child develop good habits

• Help your child practice good daily habits like:
• finishing homework and placing it in his/her backpack
• laying out clothes and the backpack in the evening
• having a regular bedtime for a good night's sleep
• leaving early enough in the morning to get to school on time.
• turn off electronic devices one hour before bedtime. 
• Help your child build responsibility skills by reminding them to make up any missed school work after an absence.

When your child is sick 

• Only let your child stay home if he/she is truly sick. Sometimes complaints of a headache or stomach ache might be a sign of anxiety and not a reason to stay home.  Contact the teacher or school counselor for support if you think this might be happening.
• Follow these Sick Day Guidelines for Families if you are not sure if you should keep your child at home due to illness.
• Need help?  Check out the Families Connected video When is Sick Too Sick on the Families Connected YouTube channel, and make sure to click like and subscribe!

Appointments and vacations

• Make every effort to schedule doctor, dentist, and other appointments after school hours.
• If your child must be out of school for an appointment, get him/her back to school for at least part of the school day.
• Plan vacations when school is not in session.

Attendance records 

• Contact the school every time your child will be absent.
• Check your child's attendance regularly on ParentVue or with school staff.
• Use ParentVue to keep your contact information up-to-date with the school (phone numbers, address, parent work location, email address, etc.).

Keep Your Teen Interested in School

Talk with your teen about classes

• Ask about his/her school day.
• Learn which classes are engaging your teen's interests.
• Discuss ways to increase interest in classes your teen does not find engaging.
• Stay on top of your teen's academic progress and attendance at ParentVue.

Safety

• Ask your teen if he/she feels safe from bullies and other threats.
• Stay on top of your teen's social contacts.
• Discuss peer pressure and social isolation.
• Feeling pressure from other teens or feeling lonely at school can lead to skipping or missing school.
• Encourage meaningful after-school activities, including sports and clubs.
• If your teen is feeling unsafe, losing interest, and/or missing school, get help from school staff (Teacher, Counselor, Nurse, etc.).

Heading toward graduation

• Talk about why a high school diploma is important to your teen's future.
• Make it clear that missing school is unacceptable.
• Contact the school counselors and teachers if you think your teen may be falling behind academically, missing school more than 2 days per month, or seems to be losing interest in school to help your teen stay on track for graduation.

This page was last updated on: November 3, 2010.