Attendance & Punctuality

Punctuality

We start school at 9.15 am every morning and the children are expected to be punctual and in their line with their classmates each morning when the bell rings. The yard is supervised from 9.00a.m. onwards.

It is so important for children to understand the importance of being punctual. Even missing a few minutes each day can add up to many hours over the school year.

In Scoil Mhuire we track Punctuality as closely as Attendance and all students arriving late or leaving early must be signed in and out at the office.

We also ask that you are on time picking up your child daily. Small children can become very upset and anxious if they are left waiting when every other child has been collected.

Attendance

One of the most important things your child can do to achieve academic success is also one of the most basic: going to school every day. In fact, research has shown that your child’s attendance record may be the biggest factor influencing her academic success.

Benefits of Daily Attendance

Achievement: students who attend school regularly are more likely to do well in reading and maths assessments than students who don’t attend school regularly.

Opportunity:  being in school every day gives children a chance to learn more about a vast range of things including about secondary school and third level opportunities.

School Community: just by being present at school, your child becomes an important member of our school community, learning valuable social skills, and developing a broader world view.

The Importance of Education: Your commitment to school attendance will also send a message to your child that education is a priority for your family, going to school every day is a critical part of educational success.

What you can do

As a parent or guardian, it is possible to plan ahead in order to limit your child’s absences, make school attendance a priority, and help your child from falling behind if it is necessary to miss a day of school. You can do this in the following ways:

• Help your child get to school on time every day. Babysitting, problems with a car or late bus, and the weather are not permissible reasons to miss school. Frequently coming to school late may also be noted on your child’s permanent record, and will make it difficult for your child to stay caught up with the first lessons of each morning. Teach your child how to set and use an alarm clock, and keep the television turned off in the morning.
• Follow the school’s guidelines and attendance policy, and report excused absences immediately.
• Check homework. Check each night to see that your child understands and completes the day’s homework assignments.
• Take an active role. Stay involved with your child’s daily experiences at school by asking how the school day went, and then listening carefully to what your child shares with you both the successes and struggles. Make it a point to meet your child’s teacher and friends.
• Locate potential sources of anxiety. If your child frequently appears upset or reluctant to go to school and cannot tell you why, schedule an appointment with his or her teacher to talk about possible sources of the anxiety.
• Keep updated on school events and announcements. Read the school documents that your child brings home and take note of important announcements and dates, such as parent-teacher meetings.
• Try to limit the amount of time that your child misses school due to medical appointments or illness. If possible, avoid scheduling doctor’s appointments during the school day. Allow your child to stay home only in the case of contagious or severe illnesses.
• Schedule family events with your child’s school schedule in mind. Plan holiday celebrations or family trips during weekends or school holidays. In the case of family emergencies or unexpected trips, talk to our HSCL Teacher.

By making your child’s school attendance a priority, you will be taking an important step in supporting your child’s school success, and setting a good example. Remember every day counts!

What to do if your child misses a day

For an Explained Absence to be registered on our system:

• You will need to provide the school with a Medical Certificate from a Doctor if your child is unwell.
• If your child has an appointment we will require a copy of the Appointment notice.

All absences without notification are recorded as an Unexplained Absence.

If your child is having a lot of unexplained absences , you will be notified in writing. At this point our HSCL Teacher will invite you to come in for a chat and to plan how we can best improve your child’s attendance.

If your child misses 20 days, you will be notified in writing and a report will be sent to our Education Welfare Officer.