Attendance Awareness Materials

Everyone plays a role in ensuring students attend school regularly and we all have the chance to promote awareness about the benefits and significance of attendance for student success and engagement. We can do this through positive and supportive messaging for students, families, communities, and educators. The toolkits on this page will help you to support students and families to attend and engage with your attendance awareness campaigns! 

Washington Attendance Awareness Toolkit

Every month presents an opportunity to raise awareness around attendance. In September, we recognize Attendance Awareness Month! September is Attendance Awareness Month! OSPI & the Educational Service District (ESD) network collaborated to develop this Washington Attendance Awareness Toolkit for school districts to adapt for their communities. 

Social Media

• Find ready to post Social Media Messages for students, families, school and district staff, and communities.

Material Templates

Use these editable templates to adapt for your school or community. Add your logo and use photos of your students and community.

• Attendance Awareness Poster Template
• Attendance Awareness Badge Template
• Attendance Awareness Logo/Banner Template
• Attendance Bear Postcard 
• Attendance Letter Template provides parents with the information about attendance required by law in RCW28A.225.005

Local Highlights in Washington

• ESD 105 Movie Theatre Advertisement
• Franklin Pierce School District You Belong Here Flyer

Local Attendance Challenges 

• Fall: ESD 113 FALLing into Great Attendance 
• Winter: ESD 113 Snowman Attendance Challenge 
• Spring:
  • Hood Canal School District March Madness Rules 
  • Hood Canal School District March Madness Poster
  • North Central High School March Madness Flyer
  • North Central High School March Madness Attendance competition video
  • Spokane Schools March Madness local news highlight
• Rethinking Perfect Attendance Awards Article by ESD 113 Attendance & Engagement Coordinator

2024 Attendance Works Attendance Awareness Campaign

Attendance Works supports national Attendance Awareness Campaign each year. Find additional messaging, resources, and toolkits on the Attendance Works campaign website.  

• The Attendance Works: Count Us In! Toolkit 2024 offers messaging and positive engagement strategies, key concepts and tools to help educators raise awareness about why showing up to school matters and also to build the universal tier one strategies that motivate students to come to school and, then layering on support when that’s needed.
• 2024 Attendance Works Key Campaign Messages are for everyone (districts, schools, preschools, health providers, public agencies, community organizations, faith-based institutions, elected officials, businesses, and families) to rally their school communities to support students and families in order to improve attendance, connection, and achievement. Send the message that showing up matters!
• Attendance Works: Showing Up Matters for R.E.A.L. Toolkit provides suggested messaging to students, parents, and caregivers that demonstrate why attendance at school is important.
• Attendance Works Holiday Messaging provides letters for school teachers hoping to encourage good attendance around winter holidays.

Year Long Attendance Messaging Planning Tools

• Attendance Works What to Do When Resource

Video & Message Recordings

Public Service Announcement Videos

The Seattle Sounders, Rave Foundation, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the Office of the Governor have teamed up to record two Public Service Announcements. Check them out:

• Superintendent Reykdal and Henry Wingo
• Governor J. Inslee and Henry Wingo

Attendance Message Recordings

Seattle Seahawks Tyler Lockett

• Wake up Call Message-Student
• Parent Notification Message

Seattle Sounders Cristian Roldan

• Wake up Call Message-Student
• Parent Notification Message

Seattle Sounders Nicolas Lodeiro (Spanish)

• Sounders Robocalls in English and Spanish

Holiday Messaging

The holiday season is a time when student absences can increase. Find some template messaging to support positive messaging to students and families during this time. This is a great opportunity to plan for when students return to school after the break and including students in this planning!

Winter Holiday Messaging

• School Break – Holiday Messaging from Attendance Works

Ideas and Resources

• Supporting Children and Teens During This Season | The National Child Traumatic Stress Network
• Share resources with students and families
• Options for back-to-school attendance awareness
  • Revisit Attendance Works Tool-Kit
    • Showing Up Matters for R.E.A.L. - Attendance Works
  • Involve student leadership and groups
    • Allow for them to come up with hashtags or themes
  • Contests
    • Theme days
  • Celebrate students, families, and communities
    • DCYF Parent Celebration
    • Family engagement night
  • Goals/New Year's Resolutions
  • Utilize beginning of school attendance awareness
    • Student peer relationships
    • Positive visual reminders
    • Morning welcome

The tools, ideas and resources on this page were developed in partnership with the ESD Attendance & Reengagement team, as part of the ESSER Attendance & Reengagement Project.