Attendance has a lasting impact.
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Regularly attending class and being present to build important school relationships has a dramatic impact on overall student success. Not attending school can create a series of issues that can add up and span from elementary to high school, even impacting a student’s ability to graduate. Families play an important role in supporting good attendance, in partnership with our schools. Together we can B Present: Attend today, Achieve tomorrow.
Why B Present?
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Attendance has academic impacts
Missing school leads to missing lessons and gaps in learning.
Relationships are important
It’s harder to develop trusted relationships and a school community that is essential to long-term school success if students aren’t present.
Absences can have long-term ripple effects
Missing school seems like a little thing at first, but it all adds up. Missing just one day per week over the course of a school year amounts to an entire month of school missed.
Families can "B" a part of the solution
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We know families know attendance is important. But families may not know how they can help their students!
Strategies for elementary school parents
- Set a regular bedtime and morning routine
- Develop backup plans for getting to school if something comes up (for example a trusted family member, neighbor, or another parent)
- Schedule medical appointments and family trips for weekends and when school is not in session, whenever possible
Strategies for middle and high school parents
- Help your child maintain daily routines, such as finishing homework and getting a good night's sleep
- Encourage meaningful afterschool activities, such as sports and clubs
- Check on your child's attendance to be sure absences are not piling up. Attendance records can be accessed through Skyward Family Access (Need help logging in to Skward?)
Strategies for students
- Set an alarm to remind myself to wake up on time.
- Keep track of my own attendance and absences.
- Talk to my school counselor or find a friend, relative, or neighbor who can help with resolving the problems keeping me from attending school.
We are in this together!
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We are here to help students B their best!
Your involvement and support make a significant difference in your child's educational journey, and by prioritizing regular attendance, you are setting them up for a bright and successful future.
If you are struggling to get your student to school or to school on-time, reach out to your child's school counselor to discuss resources and support!
Frequently Asked Questions
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Q: What if my student needs to be absent?
A: We understand that there may be circumstances that occasionally require your child to miss school, such as illness or family emergencies. If your child must be absent, please notify your child’s school office promptly. Click here to see who you should call at your child's school!Q: What if my student is sick?
A: Please refer to this guidance to determine if and when your student should stay home from school.
By the numbers
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Research shows:
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Missing 10 percent (just two days a month or about 18 days in a year) increases the chance that your student will not read or master math at the same level as their peers.
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By 6th grade, absenteeism is one of three signs that a student may drop out of high school.
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By 9th grade, regular and high attendance is a better predictor of graduation rates than 8th grade test scores.
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Resources
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Learn more:
- Annual District attendance letter
- BSD Truancy Process
- Summary of attendance RCWs
- Resource: Is my child missing school because of anxiety?
- Resource: Supporting Families to Build Good Attendance Habits (coming soon)
- Resource: Reduce Health-Related Absences (coming soon)
- Video: Bringing Attendance Home (English) (Spanish)
- Video: Linking Health and Attendance
- 11/10/23 - Kitsap Sun Op-Ed: Why missing even 2 days of school can matter so much in a student's life (by Dr. James Crawford)
Help us spread the word! Download and post/share these resources!
- B Present flyer/poster (8.5x11)
- B Present poster (11x17)