Sleepy Hollow Elementary School
Virtual Backpack: Week of
Attendance Matters
Dear SHES Parents & Guardians,
Can you believe it's already September? The time is flying by and our SHES students have been loving being back at school! Let's keep up the momentum by ensuring our students are at school each and everyday.
As you may know, chronic absenteeism can have a negative impact on your child's academic progress and success. Regular attendance is crucial for your child to fully participate in classroom learning and keep up with their peers. Additionally, frequent absences can result in missed opportunities for socialization, extracurricular activities, and building important relationships with teachers and classmates.
- Encourage your child to attend school regularly and arrive on time.
- Schedule appointments and other non-school activities outside of school hours whenever possible.
- Contact the school as soon as possible to inform us of any absences and provide documentation if necessary.
- Work with the school to develop a plan to improve your child's attendance.
It is the law in the state of Illinois for students between the ages of 6 and 17 to attend school on a regular basis. If you need additional support in helping your child is at school everyday, please reach out. We are here to help!
Sincerely,
Ms. Crystal Farkaschek
Assistant Principal
With the beginning of each school year, it is important to be reminded about the safety of students being transported to and from school and school-related activities. Please partner with our efforts to ensure all students are safely transported to and from school on the bus.
These instructions should be followed to ensure the safety and well being of all students on the bus and to assist the driver in the safe operation of the school bus vehicle.
- Be on time at the designated school bus stop; help keep the bus on schedule.
- Stay off the road at all times while waiting for the bus.
- Do not leave your seat while the bus is in motion.
- Keep hands and head inside the bus at all times after entering and until leaving the bus.
- Do not throw anything out the bus windows.
- Remember that loud talking and laughing or unnecessary confusion divert the driver’s attention and could result in a serious accident.
- Never tamper with the bus or any of its equipment.
- Assist in keeping the bus safe and sanitary at all times. No eating is allowed on the bus.
- Keep books, packages, coats, and all other objects out of the aisles and away from emergency exits. These items should be placed under the school bus seat while in transit. Do not leave books, lunches or other articles on the bus.
- Be courteous to fellow pupils and the bus driver. To earn respect, you must first show respect.
- Help look after the safety and comfort of smaller children. Keeping distractions to a minimum will help the bus driver ensure your safety.
Social and emotional learning helps children as they mature into independent adults. Research has found that deploying strategies to boost SEL skills imparts huge personal and communal benefits on students, their families, and their schools, such as:
- Improvements in student behavior
- Gains in standardized test scores
- Stronger relationships with people around them, including parents
The benefits continue at the school community level, too. Social-emotional learning has been shown to increase graduation rates and reduce the probability of students dropping out of school.
Here’s the thing – your child's teachers aren’t the only players on the team cultivating SEL skills like self management and a growth mindset in students. Families are essential when it comes to successful teaching of social-emotional learning. By engaging in these practices, we can ensure that students have the opportunity to build core social and emotional life skills in the classroom, at home, and beyond.
Try this week's at home SEL connection skill:
Skill #1: Cultivating a belief in one’s worth
Every child is unique, and families send a powerful message to children when they celebrate their unique qualities. The more a child knows about themselves, the more confident they will be in social interactions and situations like recess or extracurricular activities. Confidence also helps when students are in an unfamiliar environment like a new school.
Bringing it to life: Try this morning-time ritual: stand with your child and together look into the mirror. Take turns describing the student you reflected back. For example, you might say something like, “You are great at being kind to other kids.” You can expand this ritual by asking children to share their own likes, dislikes, and curiosities.
