Attendance FAQs

What is my responsibility as a parent in regards to my child's attendance?

Please see excerpt below from TVDSB's ATTENDANCE/SAFE ARRIVAL OF ELEMENTARY STUDENTS PROCEDURE:

RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PARENTS/GUARDIANS
2.1 Parents/guardians have the primary responsibility for ensuring their children’s regular school attendance. The Education Act stipulates for students to be absent only for reasons of illness, music lessons, suspension, expulsion and quarantines.
2.2 Parents/guardians shall:
- Utilize the Attendance Reporting System to report any student absence prior to the start of the school day.
- Sign-in and/or sign-out their child in the main office when arriving late or departing early from school.
- Verify that the school has the most accurate contact information on record for parents/guardians and emergency contacts.

How do I report an absence/late arrival/early departure?

You can report your child’s absence using the SchoolMessenger system; either the SchoolMessenger App, by logging on to www.tvdsb.ca/schoolmessenger, or by calling 1-844-305-3756.
**If an absence is going to be longer than 10 days, please notify the office directly

I told my child’s teacher they were going to be away today; why is the attendance system calling me?

The office staff control what parents get the attendance calls. The calls go out to any family that did not report their child absent either to the office directly, or by using SchoolMessenger. Informing the teacher is always a good idea, but sometimes that communication doesn’t make it’s way up to the office; this is why it is always best to inform the office of an absence, ideally through SchoolMessenger.

If I report a late arrival on the app, does my child still have to come sign in at the office?

Yes. Reporting a late arrival does not necessarily sign your child in; it just keeps the office aware that your child is accounted for during the time they are not at school. Students must ALWAYS check in at the office if they are arriving late..

What is the purpose of a late slip?

A late slip is not a punishment. It is a quick and seamless way to ensure the office knows your child is at school (by signing them in) and that the teacher knows the student has checked in (by providing the late slip).

I dropped my child off a few minutes late but the attendance system is calling me saying they are absent – why does this happen?

This may happen for a couple of reasons:

1. The office was not aware that your child would be arriving late
2. The student arrived to class after attendance was taken and did not check in at the office

What if I am unsure of the time my child will arrive at school, or if I reported the time incorrectly?

In these cases you can always call the office directly and we will gladly help you.

If I report an Early Departure using the app, do I still have to contact the office to sign them out?

Normally, yes. Submitting an early departure doesn't actually sign out your child, it just gives the office a heads up. Please always notify the office when you are here to pick up your child and we will send them out to you. Or, if your child is walking home, please notify the office as well. We cannot let a student leave the school without parental permission or presence.

If I am signing my child out early, how can I make sure they are ready for when I arrive?

The earlier you report an Early Departure the better. That gives the office enough time to notify the teacher to ensure your student is ready for you when you arrive. If you need to sign out your student early but haven’t reported it around 1:00pm, we would advise to call the office directly.

If I have questions or problems with the attendance reporting process, who can I contact?

Feel free to contact Kate in the Westmount Office for any questions you have about SchoolMessenger or attendance reporting procedures.

Contact(s)