Since the start of the pandemic, we have noticed a marked increase in the number of student absences. For instance, last year, almost half of our students missed 20 days or more of school. While this may not seem like much, but over your child's 10 years at Susanna Moodie, missing 20 days each year would equate to an entire school year missed!
When children miss a day, they miss out on essential literacy and math learning and can fall behind on lessons that build from day to day. Even being 10 minutes late can result in missing critical reading instruction, often scheduled at the beginning of the school day.
The Education Act requires that students attend classes "regularly and punctually." Safe Schools policy details our responding in confirming students' whereabouts when noted as "not present" at school. When a student is considered absent, the school will call home to confirm the whereabouts of the absent student unless the parent/guardian has already called the main office and informed us of the late arrival or absence. We encourage families to notify us directly before 9:20 a.m. In the case of some lengthy absences, a medical certificate may also be required.
Being in school every day means your child won't miss valuable learning opportunities.
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We urge you to schedule appointments and family trips outside of school hours.
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Establish routines at home to help get to school on time. Even arriving a few minutes late means your child is missing out on learning and disrupting the learning of others.
On December 4th, 2023, we will be launching the SafeArrival Student Absence Reporting System as our primary process.
Please contact the school if you need assistance with attendance issues. Let's collaborate to ensure every student is present every day!
Parents/guardians are strongly encouraged to use the SafeArrival Student Absence Reporting System, which allows reporting of student absences in advance, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Future absences can also be recorded at any time.
