Wilkes Attendance Initiative

Help your child succeed in school: Build the habit of good attendance early.

Did you know?

• Starting in preschool and kindergarten, too many absences can caus children to fall behind in school.
• Missing 10% or about 2 days each month over the course of a school year, can make it harder to learn to read.
• Being late to school may lead to poor attendance.

Absences and tardiness can affect the whole classroom if the teacher has to slow down learning to help children catch up.

Last week Wilkes sent out approximately 150 letters to students who are chronically absent as well as those who fall below 85% attendance. If you received a letter or have questions regarding your student's attendance, you can call the school and talk to one of the counselors.

What you can do:

• Set a regular bedtime and morning routine.
• Lay out clothes and pack backpacks the night before.
• Develop backup plans for getting to school if something comes up.
• Try to schedule medical and dental appointments and extended trips when school is not 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.

Attending school regularly helps children feel better about school--and themselves. Start building this habit in kindergarten so they learn right away that going to school on time, every day is important. Eventually good attendance will be a skill that will help them succeed in middle school, high school, college, and life in general.