What attendance information should new families receive when they enroll?

New families need: the specific absence reporting phone number and email, the cutoff time for reporting on the day of an absence, the definition of excused versus unexcused absences at your school, the chronic absenteeism threshold and what it triggers, and the name of the person to contact with attendance questions. These are the five facts that prevent most early attendance problems.

Should schools send a dedicated onboarding newsletter for new families?

Yes. A welcome newsletter that covers attendance, communication channels, key contacts, and the school calendar is more useful than a dense handbook that families file and never read. An email newsletter is accessible on any device, can be re-sent, and can be bookmarked for reference throughout the year.

How do you communicate attendance expectations to mid-year enrollees who missed back-to-school communication?

Build a re-usable new family welcome newsletter that covers the same content as the back-to-school attendance communication. Send it within 24 hours of enrollment. Do not wait for the next general newsletter issue. A family who enrolls in November and does not receive attendance expectations until January's newsletter may accumulate unexcused absences in the gap.

What tone works best for communicating attendance expectations to new families?

Warm and matter-of-fact. New families are already processing a lot of information and are eager to do the right thing. You do not need to emphasize consequences in a welcome communication. State expectations clearly, give them what they need to meet those expectations, and close with genuine welcome.

How does Daystage help schools send welcome newsletters to new families?

Daystage lets schools create a new family welcome newsletter template that can be sent immediately upon enrollment from any device. The consistent formatting and pre-built structure mean the school can onboard new families all year without rebuilding the welcome communication each time.

How to Communicate Attendance Expectations

Every year, families join your school mid-year or at the start of the year without any of the institutional knowledge returning families carry. They do not know which number to call when their child is sick. They do not know how your school defines excused versus unexcused. They have never heard of chronic absenteeism in the context of your specific school.

A welcome newsletter that covers attendance expectations is one of the simplest ways to prevent the attendance problems that disproportionately affect new families. Here is how to write it.

Lead with Warmth, Then Get Practical

A welcome newsletter that opens with rules and consequences sets the wrong tone for a new relationship. Open with genuine welcome: who you are, what your school is about, and how glad you are to have this family. Then transition to the practical information families need to succeed.

"Welcome to [school name]. We are really glad your family is here. This newsletter covers the key information you need to get started, including how attendance works at our school. We know there is a lot to take in, so we have kept it to the essentials. More details are always available from our front office at [number]."

Give Every Piece of Information New Families Need for Attendance

Do not assume new families will find information in the handbook or on the website. Put everything they need in the newsletter, in one place, formatted for easy reference.

What to include: the absence reporting phone number and email, the daily cutoff for reporting an absence, what counts as excused and what does not, what happens if an absence is not reported, the threshold for chronic absenteeism (typically 10 percent of school days or about 18 days in a 180-day year), and the name of the person to call with any attendance questions. Six items. One newsletter section.

Explain the Why Behind Your Attendance Policy

New families who understand the reasoning behind a rule are more likely to follow it than families who only see the rule itself. Give a brief, honest explanation of why your school takes attendance seriously.

"We care about attendance because what happens in our classrooms builds on itself every day. A student who misses frequently loses the thread of their learning, falls behind their peers, and often disengages from school as a result. We also know that attendance habits formed in early grades tend to persist. We are asking families to help us build strong habits from the start."

Name the Support Available When Attendance Is Hard

New families facing attendance challenges, whether transportation, illness, or a child adjusting to a new school, do not know that support is available. The welcome newsletter should tell them.

"If something is making it hard for your child to get to school consistently, please reach out early. Our attendance coordinator, [name], at [email] can connect you with transportation resources, our counselor, and other supports. Most attendance problems are solvable when we know about them early. Do not wait until absences add up."

Include the School Year Calendar with Key Dates

New families who do not have the school calendar will accidentally schedule vacations and appointments on days when school is in session. Including the key dates in the welcome newsletter, holidays, early release days, and parent-teacher conference windows, helps new families plan around school from the start.

A brief note alongside the calendar: "We ask families to schedule vacations and non-emergency medical appointments during school breaks and after 3pm when possible. When that is not possible, the earlier we know, the better we can support your child in catching up."

End with a Genuine Invitation to Ask Questions

New families have questions they do not yet know how to ask. Closing the welcome newsletter with a warm, open invitation to reach out signals that questions are welcome and that the school is genuinely accessible.

"Please reach out anytime. Our front office is open from 7:30am to 4pm at [number]. You can also email [address]. If you have a question and are not sure who to ask, start there and we will point you to the right person. We are really glad you are here." That closing turns the newsletter into the beginning of a relationship.

How to Communicate Attendance Expectations to New Families