Superintendent’s Update
Oct. 7, 2022
Dear Parents/Caregivers,
As we enter into October and students settle into school routines, I would like to take this opportunity to provide some important information to all parents/caregivers. Please take some time to read through the following two pieces of information. The first piece details the importance of daily attendance that all students, staff, and parents/caregivers should be aware of. The intent of the second piece is to make parents/caregivers aware of the HSD protocol for violence threat risk assessment (annual fair notice) that guides our system’s response to violence.
School Attendance
Daily school attendance is important for all students. Students who attend school regularly are more engaged in learning, have a greater sense of belonging to the community and are more likely to obtain a high school diploma. If good attendance habits are not developed in the early years, by middle years and high school, absenteeism becomes greater, academic achievement is lower, and the likelihood of school dropout increases.
Attending school every day should be the goal because even missing two days a month, a student misses the equivalent of one month of school a year. A student with 90% attendance will miss four weeks of school per year, and students who miss 15 days of school per year will miss a year of school before their senior year. See Manitoba Education Attendance Facts.
Regular attendance is defined as missing five days or less for the entire school year. Students who miss 10 percent or more of the school year (approx. 15 days in total), including excused and unexcused absences, are considered chronically absent.
For more information regarding attendance requirements, absence protocols, and notification procedures, please visit the School Attendance web page at HSD.ca.
Violence Threat Risk Assessment Protocol
Hanover School Division adheres to a Violence Threat Risk Assessment protocol. The VTRA protocol is proactive and provides fair notice to students and their parents/caregivers that the Division will actively investigate threats to self-harm or harm others. All students and staff have a right to safety, and any behaviour by individuals that threaten this safety will be dealt with seriously. Safety in schools is fundamental to the learning and well-being of students. If you have questions regarding the VTRA protocol, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s school.
Schools will be closed on Monday, Oct. 10, for the Thanksgiving Holiday. On behalf of the Board of Trustees and the entire staff of Hanover School Division, we wish you and your family a restful and meaningful Thanksgiving.
Respectfully,
Shelley Amos, Superintendent/CEO
Hanover School Division