May/June 2023

Greetings!

The end of the school year is upon us. This means wrapping up the year with positive school attendance is just as important as throughout the year. Schools and classrooms are finalizing grade level content and introducing new information for the 23/24 school year. Positive school attendance for the next month will also continue to support the pattern of getting to school on time each and everyday. As we know, establishing, continuing and committing to this foundational attendance pillar is vital in a child's PreK-12th grade overall school success...so let's make these final weeks still count!

When the school year is coming to a close we encourage you to go into your child's school portal and take a deeper look into their entire school year attendance, late arrivals AND early dismissals. Spend time reviewing this information with your child. Questions to reflect upon include:

• What does our child's overall school attendance look like?
• What does our child's overall tardies look like?
• What does our child's overall early outs look?
• Has my child missed more than 2 school days per month overall (look at the average)?
• What are the positives in my child's school attendance for the 22/23 school year?
• What are the flags or concerns I see in my child's school attendance for the 22/23 school year?
• What do I/we need to address for positive school attendance goals for the 23/24 school year?

Write the answers to these questions down and discuss them as a family. Let your family/child's school attendance data drive your decisions in the next steps you take. Talking about this information now will create timely opportunities to plan for school this Fall.

As you prepare to schedule your back-to-school appointments (i.e. medical, vision and hearing, other, etc.) for the 23/24 school year, remember to strive for times that are after the end of the school day. For every minute a child is out of school, they are missing grade level instruction, peer relationships and connections within their school community. School attendance matters...priority planning makes sure the are IN THE GAME!

Your dedication to ensuring your learner is ready to learn and in school each and everyday supports a pathway to academic, social and overall school success. It is also one of the greatest contributors in preparing your child for their next grade level standards aligned to the knowledge and skills they need to achieve by the end of a grade level.

On behalf of the Northland Learning Center, International Falls Schools, St. Louis County Schools, Cook County Schools, Mesabi East Schools, Chisholm Schools, Mountain Iron Buhl Schools, Nett Lake School, Ely Schools, and Rockridge Schools we want to thank you for partnering with us in bringing awareness and engaging in positive school attendance for our PreK through 12th grade learners. Thank you to all school districts staff, parents/guardians, students and communities for being...IN THE GAME!

#AreYouInTheGame