Emphasize Why Daily Attendance Matters in Back-to-School Activities

The flurry of communication and events at the start of the school year provide a terrific opportunity to talk about attendance. It’s important to keep messages positive while mentioning that families will be contacted if absences start adding up.

Tools for Promoting Attendance During Preschool Transition, Kindergarten Orientation and Back-to-school Events Include

  • Illustrating the Gap (5-10 minutes): Offers an interactive, common sense activity to show families how their young children can easily fall behind. For other ideas, see the Bringing Attendance Home Toolkit.

  • Bring Attendance Home Video (6 minute video) offering voices from parents about why attendance matters and sharing actions parents can take. It is available in English and Spanish.

  • Family Infographic: Take 5 minutes to hand this infographic out. Encourage parents to take a moment to read it and share their reactions with another parent.

  • Student Attendance Success Plan Pass out this plan after any of the first three activities. If you have 15 more minutes, ask parents/caregivers to work on it and share any insights with the person next to them.

  • Talking points for interacting with students and parents. If you don’t have time for a separate activity, encourage a teacher, principal or parent leader to integrate these key points into their comments to the class or school.

These Materials Can Also Be Used to Reach Families at Home
These Visuals in English and Spanish Can Reinforce the Message at School – or You Can Encourage Children to Create Their Own Posters
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How Partners and Parent Leaders Can Help

  • Ask school staff about their plans for back-to-school events and offer to make presentations on attendance

  • Support printing costs for banners and posters

  • Speak at back-to-school events about supporting families with challenges such as health, housing or transportation

  • Help launch a “Walking School Bus” or organized walk to school for students and share information about the importance of attendance as you recruit participation

  • Deliver handouts and tip sheets to homes in the community