UGDSB Thoughts About Student Attendance

Posted March 20, 2024

ATTENDANCE

Did You Know?

Every day that a student is absent from school is a lost opportunity for that child or adolescent to learn, build social skills, and receive the benefits associated with the sense of community found within our schools. Chronic or prolonged absenteeism can also result in decreased academic success and related employment prospects later in life. Increased feelings of anxiety following long periods away from school are also common as students begin to worry about their grades, lost credits, catching-up on missed assignments, as well as interactions with their peers who may wonder where they have been. 

While Ontario Law states that children between the ages of  6 and 17 must attend school, we do understand that sometimes illness and other circumstances mean that a student must be away for a period of time.

If your child misses… That equals… Which is… Over 13 yrs of schooling (JK-12) this is…
1 day every 2 weeks 20 days/year 4 weeks/year Nearly 1.5 years of schooling
1 day per week 40 days/year 8 weeks/year Over 2.5 years of schooling
2 days per week 80 days/year 16 weeks/year Over 5 years of schooling
3 days/week 120 days/year 24 weeks/year Nearly 10 years of schooling

 

Is your child struggling with attending school? Here are some tips and strategies for parents/guardians to help encourage regular school attendance. 

 Try some of these tips at home!

  • Keep in mind that attendance issues can quickly escalate.  Parents/guardians need to intervene and reach out for support as early as possible before it becomes the norm.
  • Keep the expectation in your home of attending school and staying all day.  Don’t give up. Even if your child is anxious about school, ensure the expectation of regular attendance doesn’t change.  Work with the issue, not around it.
  • Talk to your child to find out what is behind them not wanting to go to school.  Anxiety can show up in a lot of ways and one of them can be not wanting to go to school. Encourage your child to talk back to their anxiety!  Tell themselves they can do it!
  • Ask questions about your child’s worries about school.  Although you know your child well, try not to assume you know the answers.  Keep an open mind. Validate your child’s concerns.
  • If your child is having difficulty with attendance try setting a goal with them such as if they attend for a certain amount of time, they can have a special treat or do a special activity.

 

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