Supporting School Attendance

The Appleton Area School District believes there is a positive relationship between school attendance and student success. It further believes that school attendance is a responsibility shared by students, parents, schools, and community. 

Here are a few practical tips to help support regular attendance:

• Make sure your student keeps a regular bedtime and establishes a morning routine.
• Lay out clothes and pack backpacks the night before.
• Ensure your student goes to school every day unless they do not feel well.
• Avoid scheduling vacations when school is in session. Families are encouraged to take vacations during the eight weeks of summer vacation, two weeks near the holidays, or over spring break.
• Try to schedule regular doctor and dentist appointments at the beginning or end of the day or days students are off of school so that your student will only miss a portion of the day.
• Talk to teachers and counselors for advice if your student feels anxious about going to school.
• Develop backup plans for getting to school if something comes up. Call on a family member, neighbor, or another parent to take your student to school.
• Monitor your student's attendance through Infinite Campus to keep track of absences. If an absence is marked unexcused, please contact the school as soon as possible.
• Reach out for help if you are experiencing tough times (e.g. transportation, unstable housing, loss of a job, health problems) that make it difficult to get your child to school. We are here to help! Other parents, your child’s teacher, principal, social worker, school nurse, after-school providers, or community agencies can help you problem solve or connect you to a needed resource.

If your child is absent, work with the teacher to make sure she or he has an opportunity to learn and make up for the academics missed.