Campus administration and teachers look forward to seeing students in school each day, and when they’re not there, they miss opportunities to learn, socialize and build self-confidence.
Bluebonnet Elementary School Principal Sam Soto responds to frequently asked questions about attendance and student success.
Q: How does attending school every day benefit students?
A: Teachers follow a progression of lessons that introduce key concepts and skills that build upon each other, especially in the content areas of math and reading. When students are absent, they miss essential skills that progressively impact their overall ability to be successful in school. Consistently missing just two days per month will add up to missing an entire school year by the time they graduate from high school.
Q: What are students missing when they’re not in school?
A: At the elementary level, students are missing foundational skills and concepts that will help them develop as proficient readers, writers, and problem solvers as they move throughout their middle and high school years. In addition, they also learn to develop socially and emotionally as individuals. Values such as respect, empathy, tolerance, and responsibility may be introduced at home, but they are further developed and strengthened at school. Absences impede students from making progress and developing holistically as productive members of society.
Q: How does a student’s chronic absenteeism affect their progress?
A: When chronically absent, students miss numerous opportunities to learn basic skills that will lead to comprehending more complex concepts. It also impacts their reading, writing, speaking, and listening proficiency. These skills develop simultaneously through a series of activities encountered in the classroom, on the field, and in the community. As humans, we thrive on routines and a schedule because it helps us organize our thoughts and actions. These are crucial life skills that every person learns and develops throughout their school career, preparing them for adulthood.
Q: If a family is having difficulty getting a student to school on time, is it worth bringing them to school?
A: While we want all of our students to arrive on time, it is more advantageous for them to attend school than not. Texas elementary students can be retained at a grade level, and middle and high school students may not receive class credit if they attend school less than 90% of the time. When a family is experiencing a challenge at home, it often affects their child’s performance at school. Therefore, it is imperative that parents maintain effective communication with their child’s teacher and/or administrator to help brainstorm solutions and resources that may help alleviate the issue.
