Parents' Corner
Attendance Counsellors
There is a strong connection between school attendance and success. Poor attendance often results in students dropping out and subsequently having a low level of basic skills. Finding and keeping jobs becomes a problem, as does low self-esteem. There is no doubt that success in school helps a youth to feel better and to do better. The Simcoe County District School Board employs 6 attendance counsellors, who will work with families to protect each student’s right to an education.
List of School Attendance Counsellors (PDF)
What Attendance Counsellors Do:
Attendance Counsellors work primarily with students 4 - 16 years of age, who have an unusually high number of absences.
To assist in resolving school attendance problems, the counsellors may do the following:
- Accept referrals from anyone;
- Visit schools to meet with students and school staff;
- Visit homes to meet with the families;
- Work with School Board support staff;
- Work with community support agencies;
- Investigate students who move or run away;
- Provide long term counselling to students who are habitually absent;
- Help with students and parents requesting an alternative program. (SALEP for 14-15 year olds); and
- Refer compulsory attendance matters to the Provincial Court for additional support.
What Parents Can Do:
- Be interested in schooling by asking questions, communicating with teachers, and encouraging participation in clubs and teams.
- Create a school-ready routine by preparing your child for a good day– well-rested, well-fed and ready to work.
- Build self-esteem - praise (criticize) actions, not people.
- Know who your son's/daughter's friends are.
What Schools Do:
To ensure that Attendance Counsellors are provided with the information necessary to fulfill their responsibilities, the Education Act requires school principals to:
- report to the appropriate school Attendance Counsellor students of compulsory school age who have not attended school as required;
- provide the school Attendance Counsellor with such other information as the counsellor requires.
Requests should be activated when:
- attempts by the school staff to resolve the attendance issue or contact the parents have not been successful;
- absence begins to show a regular pattern, such as Monday or Friday absences;
- parents' explanations for their child’s absence may be contributing to their child's frequent absences and therefore hindering their progress;
- attendance becomes a problem due to chronic illness/stress;
- students have moved with no explanation and the Ontario Student Record (OSR) is still not requested;
- parents request home schooling;
- parents request an alternative program such as Supervised Alternative Learning for Excused Pupils (SALEP).
For more information on the Referral Process, please click here.