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Good Attendance Matters
The holidays are over. It's a new year, and time for renewed academic resolutions.
Here's a goal that many students will find compelling and achievable this year: Good Attendance.
While academic goals take a while to show results--students organize, study, break down big tasks into smaller ones, and wait for grades and report cards to appear-- maintaining a good attendance record is more immediate. It's easily understood. Each day is a small achievement.
Good attendance is not an empty achievement, either. There's a strong correlation between attendance and achievement, behavior, post-secondary schooling, and drop-out rates. There's plenty of research, and our common sense backs it up. Good attendance numbers also tell us something about the school and the instruction that's going on there.
Here are some ways to motivate students to keep attendance up.
Show you care. Good attendance is important to you as a parent. Show that you don't approve of lateness, fake illnesses, or dodging responsibilities. Have high expectations. Your child should be really sick before missing school. High fever? Okay. Lethargy? Unprepared? Not so much.
Communicate with the school. When your child must be absent, call or e-mail the school to tell them. Let your child see you do this. Now the school will know that they can expect to hear from you in the future, and your child will know that adults are monitoring his health and academics.
Schedule when you can. Help your child keep up her good attendance record by making routine pediatrician, optometrist, and dentist appointments for days when school is not in session. This won't always be possible, but your child will see that you're serious about school attendance when you try.
Have back-up plans. Snow? Car trouble? Alarm not working? Have back-up plans, so your kid doesn't get the idea that any disruption is a convenient excuse for taking a day off. If you want a good laugh, ask a teacher for some of his or her favorite absence excuses. You won't believe what you hear.
Don't be an accomplice. Don't allow your child to talk you into making excuses for him. Follow your instincts. Your job is to teach him responsibility and self-discipline. His job is to go to school. Don't upset this balance of power.
Show why good work habits are important. Good attendance is a good habit. Help your child by establishing helpful routines, having a study area, monitoring her homework, keeping her on schedule for important school projects, and celebrating success. Show how you maintain good work habits to be successful in your job or other important activities.
Watch confidence rise. Good attendance isn't the only criterion for success, but it's part of a wide range of characteristics of highly-achieving students. Watch your child's confidence rise as he sees more success, starting with the perseverance needed for good attendance.
Don't give up. Like so many other child-rearing goals, staying positive is key. Let your kid know that his health is paramount, but his academic achievement isn't far behind. Absences from school are going to get your strictest attention. | 
