Be Responsible for Attendance!
Hey Gecko Families! Did you know that Lava Ridge has a chronic attendance rate of approximately 26%!! This means that over one quarter of our students miss more than 10 days of school every year and that’s a serious problem.
Students need to be in school in order to make good growth in all subject areas and foster good relationships with teachers and each other. One of the most effective ways to encourage good student attendance is to create a culture both at school and at home where education is valued and students are taught that being at school is not only expected but celebrated. And that’s what we want to do!
There have been a few instances this school year where students and parents weren’t aware that they lived inside a bus boundary. Because of this, the student was being dropped off and picked up by a parent every day. This was inconvenient and stressful for the family. If you think your home is within the bus boundary and your student is not riding the bus, please contact the school and provide us with your current address.
Washington County School District Policy 7100 states:
The Washington County School District is legally responsible to transport all school-age children, K-6 who live one and one-half miles or more from their designated school and students in grades 7-12 who live two miles or more from their designated school.
Starting Trimester 2, we are going to start celebrating good attendance and being on time. We’ve got a couple fun competitions & incentives planned that you and your students will want to keep in mind as you help us to encourage a school-going culture.
Students already know that when the music starts to play during passing time, that means that they have one minute to get to class. Beginning on Nov. 6th, if that song is Happy by Pharell Williams, the first class to call into the office with 100% on-time AND 100% attendance will receive a prize for their whole class. When kids are in class on-time, it makes all of us Happy, Happy, Happy! And competition is fun too!
At random points during the trimester, the office will call into classrooms to see which classes have met their attendance goals for the day or month. If they have, they will get to join us for a special celebration. You’ll never know when or which class will get this opportunity so it pays to be in every class every day!
At the end of the year, we are going to recognize students with outstanding attendance with a Certificate. Each student who meets this goal will be invited to a party at Sand Hollow Aquatic Center in May. We want those who make the effort to be here consistently and work hard to be rewarded. This is a life skill that will not only help in school but as they branch out into work and college too.
We believe that the best place for students to be during the school day is here at Lava Ridge! Thank you for your cooperation in getting your children to school daily and on time. We are surely grateful for your help in ensuring that our days are productive, engaging, and a positive place for everyone! Remember, you can call your counselors if you have issues affecting attendance that need to be addressed. We are happy to help you anytime!
