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March Madness
Why Attendance Matters

● Poor attendance as early as kindergarten is associated with lower achievement in reading, math, and general knowledge. Romero, M., and Lee, Y. (2007).

● By 9th grade, absenteeism is shown to be a key indicator of high school graduation. Allensworth, E., and Easton, J.Q. (2005).

● “Attendance is Important because it helps us get better grades and it makes my parents happy” Grade 5 HPS Student.

● “It’s important to come to school every day so that we can read and learn new things” Grade 2 HPS Student.

● “ I like to come to school each day so that I can see my friends” Grade 7 HPS Student.

This March we will be celebrating all of the reasons “Attendance Matters”. Each week our schools will raffle off prizes to students who made it in each day that week and have them share why attendance matters to them. We know students get sick, so if they have to miss a day, don’t worry there is always next week.

Haverhill Public Schools is committed to helping all of our students overcome any barriers impacting their ability to attend school. If you need additional support please contact your child’s school or Lorna Marchant, HPS Supervisor of Attendance, lmarchant@haverhill-ps.org