09/08/2026
September is nationally recognized as Attendance Awareness Month. We are now starting our 5th week of school and this means a few of you might begin to receive letters regarding your child's current attendance record. We want to be completely transparent with you in dealing with attendance issues and help you understand why being at school, on time, each day is so vitally important.
Reasons Attendance Matters for Intermediate School:
Prevents Learning Gaps: Intermediate school introduces complex concepts like fractions, advanced reading comprehension, and early science. Missing even one day makes it hard to keep up, as lessons build directly on the previous day's work.
Prepares for Middle School: These years are a bridge to middle school. Regular attendance builds the independent study habits, time-management skills, and stamina students will need for higher grades.
Fosters Social Belonging: At this age, peer relationships and group identity become highly important. Being absent makes students feel left out of social circles and school activities, which can lead to school anxiety or disengagement.
Protects Future Success: Research shows that chronic absence in the upper elementary and intermediate grades is a strong warning sign for course failure and higher dropout rates in high school.
Attached is a letter further explaining our attendance policies. You will also notice a few incentives we are working on this year to promote being present as much as possible. We understand some situations cannot be avoided, and we will work with you through those situations on a case by case bases. As always, please do not hesitate to contact Mr. Pope or Mrs. Urban with any further questions.
