From the desk of the Superintendent
ATTENDANCE MATTERS...
This week I want to share with you a little bit of information on the state compulsory attendance laws and stress the importance of our children attending school when they are able to.
In the past couple of weeks, I have received many questions asking why we changed the law on attendance. My response to all is the same, the attendance law is a state policy and it hasn't changed. I encourage all to read pages 8-10 of the parish handbook as it covers the state compulsory attendance laws. I know many times, if you are like me, we scan over parts of the handbook, but I do encourage you to take your time and read through these pages if you have any questions are concerns about the attendance rules.
I only encourage this because we are bound to follow many of these protocols from the state and are given only a few areas of discretion when enforcing the rules.
Letters of reminders are just that, a notice to constantly enforce the state law. Please know that we do not expect every absence to be accompanied by a doctor's note, but we do want to keep you aware of the policies that are in place based on the state law. I promise we will work with all cases individually but it is important that we communicate with our schools and make sure our kids are in attendance if they are able to do so.
Thank you for helping us educate our children by getting them to school and together we will continue to work on doing the best that we can for all students.
Your Partner in Education,
Superintendent Tommy Byler
District events for the week of September 18th
- Friday, September 29th
- Erath High Homecoming (Early dismissal, EHS, EMS, Dozier, Leblanc)
- North Vermilion Homecoming (Early dismissal, NVHS, NVMS, CPE, IBES, Meaux)
- LOOKING AHEAD...
- October 9 is the first of four distance learning days for K-3 students so that teachers may complete mandatory state training on the "Science" of reading.
- October 16th and 17th is Fall Break
- November 6th - Parent Teacher Conference Day
Information and Resources from the VPSS Curriculum Team..
Attendance plays a crucial role in your child's learning journey. When students regularly attend school, they have more opportunities to engage with teachers and peers, ask questions, receive interventions and participate in classroom activities. Regular attendance also fosters a sense of responsibility and discipline, which are valuable life skills. On the flip side, missing school days can lead to gaps in understanding, making it harder for students to keep up with their studies.
When children are absent from school, they miss out on consistent instruction that is needed to develop basic skills. Children in early grades are particularly susceptible to falling behind in fundamental reading skills, which can have a snowball effect that impacts future learning. Children who have learning differences can be especially vulnerable to the impact of absenteeism because missing school reduces opportunities for any interventions that might be necessary.
Students who fail to read at grade level by the end of third grade are 4 times more likely than students who achieve proficiency to drop out of high school, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Adults without a high school education generally earn lower incomes and experience higher unemployment than their peers who do earn a high school diploma, putting them at greater risk for poverty.
Poor attendance can also have a negative effect on social and emotional development. For example, students who are chronically absent in the early years of their education may not learn crucial school readiness skills (abilities such as critical thinking, problem solving, and creative thinking), and can fall behind their peers in social-emotional development.
DID YOU KNOW?
Under Louisiana law, students must attend school from age 7 to 18 or until they graduate from high school. Students are required to attend school regularly and must attend at least 167 days to earn credit and be eligible for promotion to the next grade. Vermilion Parish attendance rate for 2022-2023 was 93.5. Our district goal is to reach a 95% attendance rate. In 2022-2023 four schools in Vermilion Parish exceeded the 95% attendance rate goal: Dozier Elementary (95.3%), Cecil Picard Elementary (95.1%), Meaux Elementary (95.4%) and Indian Bayou Elementary (95.5%).