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GDRSD

February 9, 2005

Dear Parents/Guardians:

After reviewing our attendance records, it has come to my attention that we have had an extraordinary number of students missing school due to vacations, sporting events or for reasons other than illness or a family emergency. We all have to make choices about the kinds of experiences our children have. The ideal is to have those kinds of experiences when school is not in session. I understand that, unfortunately, this is not always possible. However, would you want your child to have a teacher who didn’t think every day was crucial?

On the surface, missing a week or several days of school may not seem significant, especially if your child learns easily and has no difficulty. It is so easy to think that school is there every day and this “travel experience” or whatever it is, comes along rarely. That may be true, but something happens every day in school that is very important. It is one thing to think that work missed can be made up…some of it can. However, the interaction, discussion, curriculum instruction, and thinking with the class, when missed, cannot. There is constant reinforcement and building going on every day. There is also added stress to a child when they return as teachers often refer to past instruction. They are expected to make up their work at home after having missed a vital part of the curriculum in class.

In addition to noticing a high number of absences, it has also come to my attention that the number of early dismissals is on the rise. I understand that there are times when you cannot avoid picking your child up early. Doctors and orthodontists are not always accommodating. However, please think carefully about taking your child out early as a matter of convenience. Early dismissals affect your child, his teacher, his class and sometimes other students in the building. The end of the day is a time for recapping what happened in class, getting homework in order and explained, cleaning up, or buddying up with another class. When your child leaves early it is disruptive, distracting, and leaves someone else to fill his/her spot.

On an upbeat note I would like to applaud the efforts you have made in getting your children to school on time. We have seen a significant improvement in the number of students arriving on time.

In closing, we all have decisions to make about the experiences our children have. Please be aware of the underlying message you are sending to your child when you choose other activities in place of school. Think carefully about the frequency of missed school time and have a clear understanding about the decisions you are making.

If you have any questions about this letter, please feel free to give me a call.

Sincerely,

Peter Myerson