Attending School

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 the Manitoba Provincial Attendance Policy and Action Plan.

Attendance Requirements
Under the Manitoba Public Schools Act, a child must attend school regularly from age seven until 18. 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.

Absence Due to Sickness
Children who are sick should not attend school. Public health officials strongly urge anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms, such as a cough, fever, runny nose, sore throat, or headache, to remain at home.

Absence Due to Extreme Weather
If concerned about child safety during periods of extreme weather, parents/caregivers may, at their discretion, choose to keep their children at home.

School Notification
If your child is away from school for any reason, please ensure your child’s school is notified in a timely manner as per standard absence procedures. Please call the school directly or report your child’s absence through the HSD Parent Portal.