Attendance

View the Student & Family Handbook

It is the family’s responsibility to ensure their student attends school and to notify the school when their student is absent for a legitimate reason, such as an illness or family emergency. Each family should also ensure their student’s school has their correct contact information in Infinite Campus, so that the school is able to communicate about any attendance issues that may arise.

District and school policy states that you must report any student absences to the school attendance line: 303.982.9620. Please do not report absences to teachers and assume the message will be communicated to the office.

If your child will be absent for two or more school days, please fill out this pre-arranged absence form and deliver to the main office.

Pre-Arranged Absence Form

• Research demonstrates a strong connection between student attendance and academic performance
• Regular attendance allows students to establish and nurture relationships
• Students who get to school each day have a better chance of learning and succeeding
• Research shows that students who miss two days of school per month can struggle with reading and this may lead to social-emotional stress 
• When your student misses school, they also lose valuable learning time, can fall behind in their school work and as a result, it’s difficult to catch up 
• Students chronically absent in kindergarten and 1st grade are much less likely to read at grade level by the end of 3rd grade
• By 6th grade, chronic absence is a proven early warning sign for students at risk of dropping out of school
• By 9th grade, good attendance can predict graduation rates even better than 8th-grade test scores 

Here are a few helpful tips to help support regular, on-time attendance:

• Make sure your student is getting enough sleep
• Limit the use of electronic devices in the bedroom
• Set out clothes and backpacks the night before so your student is ready to go in the morning
• Establish a set morning routine to support getting out the door on time
• Only keep your student home if they are truly sick
• Keep in mind complaints of a stomach ache or headache can be a sign of anxiety and not a reason to stay home; If your student is experiencing anxiety about school, let us know so we can offer additional support to them
• Talk to your student’s teacher, counselor, or other parents in the community about what has worked for them to motivate their students to attend school
• Avoid scheduling vacations and doctor’s appointments when school is in session
• Have a backup plan for unexpected situations
• How Sick is Too Sick? This document provides clear guidelines to help parents make attendance decisions based on illness. 
• If there are challenges in getting your student to school, please contact your school or Family Response Service Team (FRST) for support

The importance of regular, daily school attendance as a basis for academic achievement cannot be overemphasized. Attendance is a shared responsibility of the student, the families and the school.

It is the family’s responsibility to ensure their student attends school and to notify the school when their student is absent for a legitimate reason, such as an illness or family emergency. Each family should also ensure their student’s school has their correct contact information so that the school is able to communicate about any attendance issues that may arise.