Good attendance patterns are an important factor in a student's overall success at school.
Report your child absent
If your child is going to be absent, notify the school by choosing one of these three options for using the SchoolMessenger app:
- Download the SchoolMessenger smartphone app: search school messenger
- Access the website: go.schoolmessenger.ca
- Use the toll free #: 1-844-288-7628
Please see the instructions booklet for Using the SchoolMessenger app, website and Toll free # for SafeArrival for more information.
For extended student absence (e.g. vacation, medical) of 5 consecutive days or longer, please complete "Request for Temporary Excusal of Attendance" form and submit to the Main Office.
Attendance Matters
DID YOU KNOW?
- Students should miss no more than 9 days of school each year to stay engaged, successful and on track to graduation. That means no more than 4 ½ days per semester.
- Absences can be a sign that a student is losing interest in school, struggling with school work, dealing with a bully or facing some other potentially serious difficulty.
- Research shows that by grade nine, regular and high attendance is a better predictor of graduation rates than grade eight test scores.
- Missing 10 percent of a school year (or about 19 days), can drastically affect a student’s academic success.
- Students can be chronically absent even if they only miss a day or two every few weeks.
- Good attendance is an important life skill that will help your child graduate from college or university and keep a job.
Make School Attendance a Priority
- Talk about the importance of showing up to school every day, make that the expectation in your family.
- Help your child maintain daily routines, such as finishing homework and getting a good night’s sleep.
- Try not to schedule dental and medical appointments during the school day.
- Don’t let your child stay home unless truly sick. Complaints of headaches or stomach aches may be signs of anxiety. Talk to your physician or ask someone at the school (guidance counsellor, principal or vice principal, school social worker or child and youth counsellor) where to go for help.
Help Your Teen Stay Engaged
- Find out if your child feels engaged by his/her classes and feels safe from bullies and other threats. Report any concerns to the teacher or principal or vice principal.
- Stay on top of academic progress and seek help from teachers or tutors if necessary. Make sure teachers know how to contact you.
- Stay on top of your youth’s social contacts. Peer pressure can lead to skipping school, while students without many friends can feel isolated.
- Encourage meaningful afterschool activities, including sports and clubs.
Communicate With the School
- Talk to teachers if you notice sudden changes in behavior. These could be tied to something going on at school.
- Check on your child’s attendance to be sure absences are not piling up.
- Ask for help from school officials, afterschool programs, other parents or community agencies if you’re having trouble getting your child to school.
We can help
Let St. Mary Administration know right away if there is a problem or concern. There are many ways we can work together to get attendance back on track, or prevent an attendance problem from starting.
