Attendance Matters at the PRSD
Did you know regular school attendance can positively impact a lot more than a student's academic record?
Recently, we had the opportunity ask some of our Grade 6 students why they thought attendance matters and the answers they provided were too good not to share.
- "It is important to come to school because you can make friends, meet new people and learn things you will need in life. You will also get to do fun things like gym, plays, and recess!" - Marie
- "I think it's important to come to school because when I miss school and come to school the next day I have work to catch up on . . . I would miss my friends, and if we didn't come to school we would have no friends." - Jordan
- "When I think of school, I think of fun and learning. It's vital to come to school to get those things on a daily basis. An example of fun is making friends. Education is important for high school and college." - Kathryn
- "I think it is important to come to school because you don't miss special events. You could also miss out on hot lunch. School is also building my future." - Tyler
- "I think it's important to come to school because you get all your work done. You get to join in special events. And you get free food. You also get to socialize and learn how to make friends." - Karleigh
- "I think it is important to come to school because you learn things that you will need to know when you are older. It is also important to come to school because you can make friends and if you don't come to school you might not get to see them. Another reason it is important to come to school is you can be a mentor to people younger than you, or with less experience." - Makayla
- I think it's important to come to school because if you don't you will miss out on learning face-to-face and fun events. You will not have hot lunch, and other things like school sports. You will not be able to learn about certain things." - Sawyer
- It is important to come to school because if you don't you'll have to catch up while everyone else gets to do fun things. Another reasons is because you won't have lots of friendships if you stay home. If you try to go to school everyday you will have a brighter future than if you say home." - Melanie.
Why #AttendanceMatters
Multiple years of pandemic learning have resulted in a culture of in-and-out of the classroom education. As a result, the Peace River School Division continues to see significant numbers of students absent on any given day. Between the start of the current school year and the end of January, our data shows approximately 17% or approximately 538 PRSD students do not attend school on Fridays and between 11% and 14% (348 - 444 students) are absent Monday through Thursday.
The same data shows that 48.5% of our students attend school less than 90% of the time. Why does this matter? Research shows that students who attend school at least 90% of the time are more likely to graduate Grade 12 within the typical timeframe of three to five years.
At the Peace River School Division, we know Learning Starts When Students Show Up. We also know that attendance is deeply personal, and the reasons why students miss school are unique and sometimes complex. Because of this we have developed an acronym to help us communicate why regular school attendance is so important to overall student success.
Attendance...
L - Learning Success
E - Encourages Engagement
A - Access to resources
R - Relationships
N - Normal Routines
How can you help?
Apply “LEARN“ for your Elementary-aged Student
Successful Learning: Children learn best through meaningful interactions with their teacher and other students. Encourage your student to attend regularly so that these meaningful interactions can take place.
Encourage Engagement: Make sure you student is present and you are aware of special school events. Participating in fun school events, such as spirit days and outdoor classes, allows students to connect with other children and adults and get excited about learning.
Access to Resources: Schools often provide students with a variety of resources they may not get at home. Many of our schools provide students with access to meals, free mental health support, and many extracurricular activities. Contact your school principal if you need more information about what type of resources are available to your student through regular school attendance.
Build Relationships:The relationships students and their parents develop through their schools have the power to last throughout their educational career, and sometimes even further. By building relationships between students, their families and their schools, students often feel more safe and welcome while at school.
Create Normal Routines: Children thrive on routines. It’s something parents are taught, or learn quickly, when their children are infants, and we know that need doesn’t disappear as the child enters the education system. Daily attendance can reduce anxiety and stress, and increase self-confidence, laying a foundation for good attendance in later grades.
Apply LEARN for your Junior and Senior High School student
Successful Learning: By ensuring your student regularly attends school, you are setting your student up for academic success. Research shows students who attend school regularly tend to do better academically in middle school and are more likely to graduate from high school on time.
Encourage Engagement: Being at school and engaged in a variety of classroom and school-wide activities helps students connect with their peers and can motivate participation in learning.
Access to Resources: Schools often provide students with a variety of resources they may not get at home. Many of our schools provide students with access to meals, free mental health support, and many extracurricular activities. Contact your school principal if you need more information about what type of resources are available to your student through regular school attendance.
Build Relationships: The relationships students and their parents develop through their schools have the power to last throughout their educational career, and sometimes even further. By building relationships between students, their families and their schools, students often feel more safe and welcome while at school.
Create Normal Routines: Most teens thrive on routines. Daily attendance can reduce test or assignment anxiety and stress, and increase your child’s self-confidence, laying a foundation for the development of good habits that will help your teenager successfully enter the workforce.