Summer at McKenzie: Preparing for a New School Year, Every Day Counts

With several weeks remaining before the first day of school, it might seem a little early to talk about attendance. In reality, summer is the perfect time to begin building the routines and habits that help students have a successful school year.

One of the strongest predictors of student success isn’t a particular curriculum, technology, or program. It’s simply being at school consistently. Students who attend school regularly are more likely to build strong relationships with teachers and classmates, stay on pace academically, participate in extracurricular activities, and feel connected to their school community.

Over the past year, you’ve heard me write about attendance several times because it is one of the most important factors influencing student success. It’s also an area where our entire community can make a difference.

Oregon defines a regular attender as a student who attends at least 90 percent of the school year. With McKenzie’s 144-day school calendar, students can miss up to 14 days of school, about 3.5 weeks of instruction, and still be considered a regular attender.

Last school year, 66 percent of McKenzie students met that goal. While we are proud that two-thirds of our students attended regularly, it also means 34 percent of our students missed more than 14 days of school. Those missed days represent valuable learning opportunities that are difficult to replace.

When you look at attendance over the course of a student’s entire educational journey, the impact becomes even more significant. A student who misses the maximum of 14 days each year from kindergarten through twelfth grade will miss the equivalent of more than an entire school year of instruction by the time they graduate. Every day truly does count.

Of course, we recognize that families face real challenges. Children get sick. Medical needs arise. Unexpected circumstances happen. Attendance isn’t coming to school when a child is ill. It’s about minimizing avoidable absences whenever possible and making school attendance a priority when students are healthy and able to participate.

There are several simple ways families can begin building strong attendance habits before the school year even starts.

When possible, schedule routine doctor, dental, orthodontic, and other appointments on Fridays, when school is not in session. Doing so allows students to receive the care they need while missing little or no instructional time.

As August approaches, begin easing back into school routines by gradually moving bedtimes and wake-up times earlier. Students who return to a consistent sleep schedule before school starts are more likely to arrive rested, focused, and ready to learn on the first day.

Preparing the night before can also make mornings less stressful. Packing backpacks, laying out clothes, and preparing lunches or snacks ahead of time helps create a calm, predictable routine that makes getting out the door easier.

Finally, talk positively about school. Children often take cues from the adults around them. Expressing excitement about seeing teachers, reconnecting with friends, participating in activities, and learning new things helps students look forward to returning to school.

If your family is experiencing challenges that could affect your child’s attendance, whether related to transportation, housing, health, or another concern, please don’t hesitate to reach out. One of the strengths of our district is that we know our families, and we want to partner with you to help every student succeed. Reaching out early allows us to identify resources and solutions before attendance becomes a larger concern.

As we prepare for another outstanding school year, we’re looking forward to welcoming families during student registration on August 11 and 12. Registration is more than completing paperwork. It’s the first step toward a successful school year. Together, we can build strong routines from day one that help every student be present, engaged, and ready to learn.

Every school day represents an opportunity to learn something new, build a friendship, discover a passion, or overcome a challenge. Those opportunities begin with simply being present.

We look forward to welcoming our students back on August 31 and working together to make the 2026–2027 school year one of our best yet.