A Note from Mrs. Larson
Hello Dunham Families,
We are excited for this week—it's Sonoma County Ag Days! 🌾🐄🚜 Please be sure to read all the notes from your teachers so you have the latest details about your child’s schedule and activities.
As we approach the last few months of school, I want to emphasize the importance of being at school and arriving on time. There are 365 days in a year, and our students are in school for only 180 of them. That leaves 185 days for vacations and special trips. Our breaks are strategically placed throughout the year—almost one every month—so families can plan ahead.
I recently read an interesting article about chronic absenteeism and how it not only affects your child but also their classmates. When students miss school, teachers often have to backtrack to reteach lessons, which slows down the pace of learning for the whole class. Independent study can never truly replicate what happens in the classroom. While it does help recover some of the lost instructional time and school funding, it requires extra effort from our teachers and still doesn’t provide the same level of engagement, discussion, and hands-on learning.
At Dunham, our focus isn’t on funding—it’s on your child’s success. We care deeply about every student and want to support them in every way possible. We understand that illnesses and important family events happen, but taking a day off just because a student is tired is not a valid reason. We are preparing our students for the future, and building good habits of attendance and responsibility now will benefit them throughout their lives, including in the workplace.
Thank you for your partnership in ensuring our students are present, engaged, and ready to learn every day.
Looking forward to a fantastic week celebrating agriculture together!
In Partnership,
Mrs. Larson
