Happy Birthday this month to......

Ms. Walker, Ms. Middlebrooks, Ms. Mitchell, Mr. White, Mr. Brassfield, DR. Dupree, Ms. LaRue, Ms. Brown, Ms. Baber and Ms. Jett

Why attendance matters

Student success starts with good attendance and is the responsibility of the student, family, and school. The U.S. Department of Education reports that for every missed day of school, it takes a student two days to catch up because they must make up missed learning and catch up with new learning at the same time. Regular attendance has been linked to higher achievement, stronger bonds to the school and community, lower rates  of delinquent and high risk behavior, and increased participation in higher education.

The earlier a student sets a pattern of going to school, the better they will do throughout their school career. Families have a vital role in ensuring and promoting regular attendance at school by:

• Ensuring students arrive to school and class on time.
• Planning family vacations during non-school days and summer break.
• Trying to schedule doctor appointments after school hours.
• Bringing a child to school before and after apppointments that are scheduled during the school day.
• Only allowing a child to stay home when they have a contagious illness or is too sick to attend school.

Why does it matter if my child misses or comes in late? Absences impact everyone. Students who miss class often can quickly fall behind and struggle to catch up. But students who have good attendance can be affected as well. When a frequently absent student returns to class, for example, the teacher often must stop to give specail attention to that child. There's a finacial impact too. Because school funding is largely tied to daily attendance it can make a major  difference when it comes to payiong for classroom materials and programs.

To keep track of your student's attendance, access the Infinite Campus Portal.

To find more about FCPS attendance policies, check the Student Code of Conduct.