Attendance Matters

Ferndale Families,
 
What a great start to the school year! It has been wonderful to have our students back in our schools, reconnecting with friends, building relationships with staff, and settling into the routines of learning. Thank you for everything you have done to help us start strong.
 
As we begin another year together, I want to continue talking about something we focused on last year: attendance.
 
Our own data consistently shows that students who attend school 90% or more of the time do better academically. Attendance matters. And being on time matters too.
 
Sometimes it is easy to think that a day here or a few minutes there isn’t a big deal. But time adds up quickly.
 
Did you know that missing just one day of school each month adds up to about nine days over the course of a school year? That is nearly two full weeks of missed learning.
 
Missing 90%, or two days each month adds up to about 18 days, that's nearly four weeks of school each year.
 
Tardies add up too. Being just 10 minutes late three times a week adds up to about 18 hours of missed instructional time over the course of a school year. Fifteen minutes late three times a week adds up to 27 hours.
 
A day here. Ten minutes there. It may not feel like much in the moment, but over time, it adds up.
 
There is another reason this matters.
 
When we talk with members of our business community, we often ask a pretty simple question: Are our students ready for what comes next?
 
One of the themes we hear consistently is time. Employers tell us they need people who show up, arrive on time, are dependable, manage their time, and understand that others are counting on them. This is a real concern they are facing in the workplace.
 
That matters to us because our job isn’t only to prepare students academically. We are preparing them for life.
 
Showing up consistently and on time teaches reliability. It teaches responsibility. It teaches students how to manage their time and honor commitments. Whether their next step is college, a trade, the military, or directly into a career, those habits matter.
 
And we begin teaching them now.
 
Being on time also changes how a student begins the day. Think about what it feels like to walk into a meeting after it has already started. You are trying to figure out what you missed while everyone else is already moving forward. Our students experience that too. When they arrive on time, they start with everyone else, hear the directions, connect with their teacher and classmates, and are ready to learn.
 
And then there is belonging.
 
We want every student in Ferndale to know, “When I am here, people notice. When I am gone, people notice too.” Every student matters, and their presence matters to their school community.
 
Of course, children get sick and life happens. We understand that. This isn’t about perfect attendance. It is about building strong habits and doing everything we can, together, to have students at school and on time whenever they are able to be here.
 
Showing up matters. Showing up on time matters. Not because we are trying to create rule followers, but because we are helping young people develop habits that will open doors for them long after they leave us.
 
Thank you for partnering with us and for such a great start to the year. Let’s keep it going!
 
Kristi