Dear Parents and Guardians,

This year, the West Haven Public School District is placing a special focus on one of the most critical building blocks for student success: school attendance.

I want to see all of our students at school, on time, every day. I am launching the “Here!” Campaign for Attendance to bring attention to this important matter, and hope you will make your child’s attendance a priority all year.

In order for students to reach their potential and fully benefit from our curriculum, they must be in school from the first bell until dismissal every day. Our district offers an academic program that is second to none, clubs and extracurricular activities, and support services—but these tools can only make a difference if a student is in school
to use them.

Absences, tardies and dismissals add up. Think about it this way: If a student is absent 10 days each year from kindergarten through graduation, he or she misses 130 days of school—that’s like missing almost 75 percent of an entire school year.

If your family or student faces a unique challenge that may cause frequent absences, please contact your school principal and/or social worker. I look forward to working with you and our schools on attendance in the coming months, and wish you a successful and enriching 2017-2018 school year.

Sincerely,

Neil C. Cavallaro
Superintendent of Schools