Dear Garfield Families,
I hope you are all doing well. It’s hard to believe that we are already in December and nearing the end of the calendar year! As we move towards winter break, we wanted to share some important information for your consideration.
We recently reviewed attendance data and are excited to report that a majority of our students are attending regularly, with many maintaining a rate of over 90%. This is a celebration! However, students attending less than 90% are considered chronically absent, which significantly limits their learning and success since every day of instruction builds upon the last.
We want to share a visual that demonstrates the cumulative impact of absences and tardies have on students over time, based on the current year’s 172 school days:
To illustrate this impact, consider a typical school month. In one month, there are generally 20 days of class, which equates to 20 days of instruction. A student who misses 25 days of school over the course of the year misses over a month of instruction.
Now, imagine all the individual lessons they receive in a single day, which is typically around seven distinct lessons or subjects. If a student misses 20 days, they are potentially losing out on 140 individual lessons. It is incredibly difficult for a young child in elementary school to succeed academically when they are missing this much crucial instructional time.
A similar impact happens when students are tardy (or picked up early) on a regular basis.
Regular attendance and punctuality are crucial for your child’s success, impacting not only academic performance but also their social-emotional well-being and sense of belonging. Missing class creates stress and gaps in learning, while consistent attendance is vital for building positive peer relationships and feeling connected to the classroom community.
We sincerely appreciate your partnership in ensuring your student arrives on time (8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.) every day, ready to learn. If you are facing any barriers to consistent attendance, please reach out to your child’s teacher or the front office so we can work together to find solutions.
Kind Regards,
Nancy Davila-Williams, Principal
Upcoming Events:
Dec. 6: PTA Winter Celebration 5:30-8:00 p.m. (They will begin with posadas at 5:00 p.m.)
Dec. 12: School assembly at 1:00 p.m. Feel free to join us!
Dec. 22-Jan. 2: Winter Break: No School
