Dear Families,
In an effort to reduce the number of unexcused tardies, absences, and early pick-ups from
school, we are synergizing to Make Every Minute Count. Every minute in school is
important, and a minute out of school is a missed opportunity for learning. Missing 10
minutes a day over the course of the school year is equivalent to missing 30 hours of
instructional time. Imagine what your child could learn in 30 hours.
If we are able to reduce the number of unexcused tardies, absences, and early pick-ups
from school, we will be helping to build positive habits for our children while increasing the
learning that takes place every day in school.
Unexcused Tardies: We are asking our families to plan accordingly when dropping off
children at the start of the school day as we know that our parking lot can get congested
the closer it gets to the 8:45 morning bell. We believe that leaving for school just 5 minutes
earlier, will allow for 100% on-time behavior. Research indicates that there is a correlation
between tardiness in school and tardiness in the workplace. Additionally, there is a
correlation between tardiness and poor performance in school.
Unexcused Absences: Certainly, when children are sick, it is important to stay home and
help the body recover quickly so that children can return to school as soon as they are
feeling better. Unexcused absences result when children are out of school without cause.
(i.e. when they spend the day at Disneyland). Only fevers and vomiting are approved
reasons for an excused absence. It is ok for students to attend school with a common cold
or if they don’t feel 100%.
Early Pick-Ups from School: While we understand that sometimes appointments have to be
scheduled within the school day, we are hoping that when scheduling these appointments,
care is taken to avoid conflicts with the school day to the greatest extent possible. If you
have a standing appointment for your child (i.e. physical therapy) that requires a regular
early pick-up and that cannot be changed, please bring in a doctor’s note to verify.
We hope that you will embrace the importance of your child’s attendance at school to
include drop off and pick up within school hours, which will contribute to greater learning
for all of our children.
With Gratitude,
Mrs. Bedard, Principal
Ms. Stephens, Assistant Principal