Parent Information

Gust Family and Teacher Association

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Did you know that Colorado has a mandatory attendance law?

COLORADO ATTENDANCE LAW
22-33-104. Compulsory school attendance. The Colorado attendance law states: every child who has attained the age of six years and is under the age of seventeen years, except as provided by this section, shall attend public school for at least Nine hundred sixty-eight hours if an elementary school pupil in a grade other than kindergarten and Nine hundred hours if a full-day kindergarten pupil.

Regular attendance is important for learning. With the current flu concerns, we definitely want you to keep your child home when they are sick. Although if your child is sick, please call the school attendance line at 720-424-6601 each day he/she is absent. If the absence lasts three or more days, feel free to call the school to request missed work for you to pick up. Please send your child to school as soon as he/she is well and/or cleared by the doctor to attend. Working together, we can ensure a rewarding school experience for your child.

Tiger traits are awarded each month to children who have had perfect attendance.

INCREASING YOUR CHILD’S ACADEMIC MOTIVATION

An academically motivated child wants to learn, likes learning activities, and believes school is important. From infancy, children are naturally motivated to learn. Learning to walk, eat without help, and dress without help are examples of a young child’s motivation to learn. When something gets in the way with this natural motivation children lose the motivation to learn. They believe they can’t do well on school related tasks, they become easily frustrated, and this may stop them from trying. This prevents them from experiencing the thrill of learning something new and attributing any learning success to luck or circumstance instead of to themselves.

Parent Tips for Increasing Academic Motivation (Provided by the National Association of School Psychologists)

    * Keep good parent-child relationships and letting your child know that you think school is important. Take time to do fun things with your child. Listen when your child talks to you, especially about school.
    * Be firm and fair when disciplining your child. Children grow independent and responsible with reasonable discipline.
    * Teach responsibility at home through assigned chores and expectations for proper behavior. This helps children develop self-discipline that can transfer to school-related learning.
    * Do family activities that encourage learning, such as visits to the library, museums, or parks.
    * Let your child know that you think learning is important and the central purpose of school.
    * Provide opportunities for successes. Children who feel successful are more likely to try new things.
    * Talk to your child about your interests and likes.
    * Help your child identify things they enjoy and what he/she does well. Capitalize on these interests to build learning experiences.
    * Be sure to praise your child for trying hard and for being successful. Children need to know when they are doing well.

Balance praise and punishment when you are helping your child. Too much punishment can be discouraging. Make sure your child knows what is expected and gets some kind of recognition for trying.

Lisa Lindauer