While our school has an exceptionally academic focus, attendance matters no matter where your child goes to school. At CHPCS, every day is full of meaningful class work, and much of it cannot be reproduced or "made up" if missed. Missing school for anything other than illness or family emergency sends the wrong message to your child: school is not that important.
We have 180 school days, which leaves 185 days out of the year for vacations, doctor appointments, or sleeping in. However, we must account for the fact that we have a shorter week! We only had 150 school days this year, including Field Trip Fridays. This leaves a whopping 215 days out of the year for vacations, doctor appointments, or sleeping in!
Additionally, if children are feeling just a little bit under the weather, they can make it through a school day. Of course, fevers and vomiting are another matter, but if it's a low-grade crumminess, send them to school with a water bottle and handkerchief. Even if they're only 75% "there" for the instruction, that's 75% more than they'd be getting if they were absent.
Here is a link to a three-page document from the Children's Hospital of Colorado with advice about when to keep a child at home and when to send them to school.
There are two different types of absences: excused and unexcused, and sometimes the definitions are misunderstood, so let us clarify:
Excused means the principal or teacher deems the excuse given as valid (the child was ill, out for religious holidays, unavoidable appointments, etc.). "Excused" does NOT mean the parent called/emailed and made excuse.
Unexcused means the principal or teacher does not accept the excuse given, or never received excuse/notification re: absence.
Either way, Oregon law sets limits on the number of absences: five days in a three-month term or ten days in six months. The parents of children who are found to be over their permitted days absent may be fined, contacted by DHS, or similar.
As a staff, we have been looking at attendance this spring, and it is an area of improvement we will be focusing on for the 2014-15 school year. As you begin thinking towards next school year, and planning family vacations, please keep this in mind. Please also keep in mind that Oregon Law requires children to attend school and guardians are required to ensure their regular attendance. To be clear: please do not schedule vacations during the school year: it sends the wrong message to children about school, it causes undue work for teachers, and it is may violate Oregon statutes.
Another way to look at it is this: we are not looking to punish the families of children who have had a sicker-than-usual year, or other bad luck or loss. We are looking to remedy a situation (excessive absences) that causes trouble for students, disruption of classrooms and learning, excessive work for the office and teachers, and may threaten the school's funding and state report card scores. If your family has struggled with attendance due to illness this year, please don't add absences on to that by taking a long weekend or letting your child take a day off for their birthday. They need to be here as much as possible!
We want your children in class, learning, as much as possible!
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Additionally, if children are feeling just a little bit under the weather, they can make it through a school day. Of course, fevers and vomiting are another matter, but if it's a low-grade crumminess, send them to school with a water bottle and handkerchief. Even if they're only 75% "there" for the instruction, that's 75% more than they'd be getting if they were absent.
Here is a link to a three-page document from the Children's Hospital of Colorado with advice about when to keep a child at home and when to send them to school.
There are two different types of absences: excused and unexcused, and sometimes the definitions are misunderstood, so let us clarify:
Excused means the principal or teacher deems the excuse given as valid (the child was ill, out for religious holidays, unavoidable appointments, etc.). "Excused" does NOT mean the parent called/emailed and made excuse.
Unexcused means the principal or teacher does not accept the excuse given, or never received excuse/notification re: absence.
Either way, Oregon law sets limits on the number of absences: five days in a three-month term or ten days in six months. The parents of children who are found to be over their permitted days absent may be fined, contacted by DHS, or similar.
As a staff, we have been looking at attendance this spring, and it is an area of improvement we will be focusing on for the 2014-15 school year. As you begin thinking towards next school year, and planning family vacations, please keep this in mind. Please also keep in mind that Oregon Law requires children to attend school and guardians are required to ensure their regular attendance. To be clear: please do not schedule vacations during the school year: it sends the wrong message to children about school, it causes undue work for teachers, and it is may violate Oregon statutes.
Another way to look at it is this: we are not looking to punish the families of children who have had a sicker-than-usual year, or other bad luck or loss. We are looking to remedy a situation (excessive absences) that causes trouble for students, disruption of classrooms and learning, excessive work for the office and teachers, and may threaten the school's funding and state report card scores. If your family has struggled with attendance due to illness this year, please don't add absences on to that by taking a long weekend or letting your child take a day off for their birthday. They need to be here as much as possible!
We want your children in class, learning, as much as possible!
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