Though attendance is always an important topic on which to focus, September is “Attendance Awareness Month,” highlighting the life-long benefits of making sure children are in school each day, as well as potential negatives if they are not.  Attendance is critical for success in school and in life, beginning at a very early age!

Building foundational skills and habits as early as Pre-K or Kindergarten will help children do well academically, physically, and socially throughout their entire lives.  Through ensuring that students are at school each day, consistent and ongoing learning can take place to prepare children for life-long success.  Even missing just a few days a month can add up to a tremendous amount of lost instructional time over the course of a school year.

This week, the Saturday Six looks at key factors related to school attendance, and why it is so important for a child’s long term success in life!

1. Children can suffer academically if they miss 10 percent of school days, which adds up to about 18 days per year.  Even if it is just one day few of weeks, that adds up over time, and can happen before you realize it!
2. It doesn’t matter if absences are excused or unexcused.  All absences represent lost time from the classroom and a lost opportunity to learn.
3. To support good attendance for younger children, it helps to set a regular bedtime and morning routine.  Make sure children get 9 to 11 hours of sleep.  Some helpful tips include preparing for mornings by laying out clothes and packing backpacks the night before.
4. For older children, help set homework and bedtime routines that allow for 8.5 to 9.5 hours of sleep.  Make sure that when the lights go out, so do cell phones, video games and computers.
5. Above all, set an example for your child.  Show him or her that attendance matters to you and that you won’t allow an absence unless someone is truly sick.  In addition, it helps to not ask older students to help with daycare and other household errands during the school day.
6. For children, school is their first and most important job.  They are learning about more than math and reading.  They are also learning how to show up for school on time every day, so when they graduate and get a job, they will know how to show up for work on time every day!

Help make sure students are in school each day.  It will make a huge impact on their opportunity for success in school and in life.

Next week in the Saturday Six:  September 1, 2017 marked the launch of the brand new Kingsport City Schools Athletics Website.  We’ll take a tour of the site and show you how to stay connected with all-things KCS Athletics!