On Saturday morning, volunteers from our District and invited community representatives will gather to call families of students in all our schools with messages of gratitude and encouragement for regular school attendance. Through a phone bank and a postcard-writing effort, participants will contact as many families as possible to commend them for improvement in attendance this school year. This initiative, sponsored by Bend-La Pine Schools and the Oregon Department of Education, is part of our collective effort to promote strong student attendance and celebrate families who make it a priority.
Chronic absenteeism in public schools spiked during and immediately following the Covid pandemic. Through a series of interventions, Bend-La Pine Schools is seeing regular attendance improve again. We have more than 1,400 students who whose attendance was below 90 percent last year, and so far this year is between 90 percent and 100 percent – evidence of significant improvement. We still have a way to go to return to pre-pandemic levels, but we’re on the right track.
There are many factors that may contribute to students dropping below 90 percent average attendance, including family circumstances, lacking a sense of belonging, poor academic engagement, and academic struggles. Each day we strive to connect and build positive relationships with our students and families while helping set the tone for students to enter our classrooms ready to learn and thrive. We all work to ensure that our schools are welcoming spaces, and that we are happy to have students attending school.
WHAT: Phone bank and postcard writing with messages of support for families of students
WHEN: Saturday, October 18, 10-11:30am
WHERE: Silver Rail Elementary School, 61530 SE Stone Creek Lane, Bend
