The new year is a time to set goals—or to check back on those we set earlier in the school year. This is a particularly good time to check in on your child’s school attendance. Seattle Public Schools believes that attendance is one of the most powerful predictors of academic achievement and that having your student present, ready to learn each school day will benefit them, their classmates, and the whole school community. Research shows that missing 10% of the school year for any reason negatively affects a student’s academic performance.
We know there are several reasons why students are absent from school, from health concerns to transportation challenges. In the month of December, our overall school attendance dropped as we had an outbreak of Norovirus and other illnesses. Sometimes we hear from families that they are just unaware of how much school their child has missed through absences and tardiness. Our promise to you is that we will track attendance daily, notice when your child is not present, and communicate with you to understand why they were absent. We want to help identify barriers in getting your child to school and to work with you to find supports available to overcome challenges you may face in helping your child attend school each day.
We have seen a drop in student attendance since the COVID-19 pandemic, and it has not yet fully recovered to pre-pandemic levels. As of December 2024, here is some data about how we are doing this year:
Eighty-two students have missed 10 or more days this year.
We have a 91.8% year-to-date attendance rate (compared to about a 96% rate pre-pandemic).
Students are more likely to miss school on Thursdays and Fridays.
Students in younger grades are more likely to miss school than students in our upper grades. There can be a misconception that students in preschool and kindergarten are just playing at school. In fact, our preschool and kindergarten students are acquiring valuable academic skills. We do see students falling behind their peers when they miss school.
We miss your student when they are gone, and we value their contributions to school. We would like your help in ensuring that your child attends school regularly so they can be successful in school. If your student is going to be absent, please contact us in advance by emailing your child’s teacher or contacting our school office at 206-252-2800. You can help by:
Have your child attend school unless they are truly sick, such as a fever, vomiting, diarrhea, contagious rash, or other communicable diseases such as COVID-19.
Schedule appointments and arrange for travel times when school is not in session.
Keep track of your child’s attendance. Missing school, excused or unexcused, puts your child at risk of falling behind.
Set a regular bedtime and morning routine so that your child can arrive to school on-time and well-rested.
We appreciate your partnership in your child’s school success this year. You can find additional attendance information at: https://www.seattleschools.org/departments/attendance/
Thank You Bellevue Buddhist Temple
Thurgood Marshall is so grateful for our connection with Bellevue’s Buddhist Temple. They donated many coats, hats, mittens, sock, underwear, shoes and more in support of our TM students and their families. Thank you for making our holidays joyful!
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