Attendance Procedures

At Longfellow Elementary School, we believe that consistent attendance is key to student success. Regular participation in class helps students stay on track academically, socially and emotionally. Here’s what you need to know about our attendance procedures and tips to ensure your child is present and prepared to learn each day.

Reporting Absences

If your child is unable to attend school due to illness or other reasons, please follow these steps:

1. Notify the School: Contact the attendance office by calling (847) 520-8833 or emailing [email protected] before the school day begins.
2. Provide a Reason: When reporting an absence, include the reason, such as illness, appointment or family emergency. If your child is ill, specify any symptoms.
3. Doctor’s Notes: If your child has a medical appointment or illness lasting three days or more, please provide a doctor’s note when they return to school.
4. Extended Absences: For absences longer than three days, or if your family has an upcoming trip, notify the school as early as possible to arrange for missed work.

Late Arrivals & Early Dismissal

If your child will arrive late, please call the office to notify staff. Students arriving after the start of school must check in at the office before going to class.

If you need to pick up your child early, notify the school ahead of time. You will need to sign them out from the office.

TRACKING ATTENDANCE WITH MAGNETS

To help families stay mindful of attendance, CCSD21 will provide Attendance Tracking Magnets to each student. These magnets are designed to help track how many school days your child has missed.

Each magnet will have space to mark up to 10 missed days. This visual reminder can help you monitor your child’s attendance throughout the school year and encourage conversations about staying on track. Once a student reaches 10 absences, the school will send a notification, along with guidance to support consistent attendance.

By keeping track of missed days with this handy magnet, we can work together to ensure your child doesn’t fall behind and remains engaged in their learning journey.

View the magnets here:

• English
• Spanish
• Russian

Avoiding Absences: Tips for Parents & Students

Starting in kindergarten, students should miss no more than nine (9) days of school per year to stay on track for graduation. That means missing no more than one day per month! Attending school regularly helps students:

• Build strong academic foundations
• Develop social and emotional skills
• Form relationships with peers and teachers
• Engage in extracurricular activities and learning experiences

Don’t let absences add up! You are able to check your child’s attendance monthly by visiting this link, logging in with your username and password, and selecting “Grades and Attendance.”

Excused absences include:

• Illness (including mental or behavioral health)
• Observance of a religious holiday
• Death in the immediate family or a family emergency
• Other situations beyond the control of the student as determined by the Board of Education
• Legal appointments

Unexcused absences include:

• Missing the bus
• Oversleeping
• Work
• Babysitting
• Not informing the school office of a student’s absence

If you are having difficulty getting to school, we are here to help. Please contact our front office and we will work with you to find the right resources. If you need physical or mental health assistance, the District 21 Health Center is also available at no cost to you! Book your appointment today.