Dear D57 Parents/Guardians,
I hope your school year is off to a great start! District 57 is making a special effort to ensure that all students fully benefit from their education by attending school regularly. For a student to have a successful experience, the student must be present in class. Any absence from school is a missed learning opportunity for your child. The data in a recent U.S. Department of Education report revealed that chronically absent students are more at risk for missing early learning milestones, failing courses, and not graduating on time. For this reason, it is important to make school attendance a top priority for your child.
What Families Can Do
We miss our students when they are gone and we value our students’ contributions to our school. We would like you to help ensure your student attends regularly and succeeds in school. The following suggestions positively contribute to regular school attendance:
Talk to your student about the importance of attendance.
Set a regular bedtime and morning routine.
Prepare for school the night before, finish homework, and get a good night’s sleep.
Develop backup plans for getting to school if something comes up. Call on a family member, a neighbor, or another parent/guardian.
Don’t let students stay home unless they are truly sick. Remember that complaints of a stomachache or headache can be a sign of anxiety and not a reason to stay home.
Talk to your student's teachers if you notice sudden changes in behavior. These could be tied to something going on at school.
Avoid scheduling appointments, vacations, and extended trips when school is in session.
Our Commitment
We know that students are absent from school for a wide variety of reasons, from health concerns to transportation challenges. Our district and schools are prepared to offer help if you or your student face challenges in getting to school regularly or on time. Depending on your student’s grade or school, this help may include your principal, assistant principal, school social worker, teacher, or all of the above. In addition to providing the support of our staff, we promise to track attendance daily, to notice when your student is missing from class, to communicate with you so we can understand why they were absent, and to identify supports available to overcome challenges you may face in helping your student attend school.
More information can be found on the District 57 Website. We are always available to assist and support your child to fulfill our District 57 Vision of inspiring every student, every day to reach their full potential.
In the Spirit of Education,
Dr. Mary Gorr
Superintendent
