Count ME In Maine

✈️🌎 Travel can be one of life's greatest classrooms.

Family trips create memories, build curiosity, expose children to new cultures, and teach important life skills like problem-solving, adaptability, and communication.

At the same time, regular school attendance matters.

Students learn not only academic content but also routines, relationships, collaboration, and the day-to-day habits that help them thrive. Missing too much school, even for positive reasons, can make it harder for students to stay connected and keep up with learning.

Attendance also affects more than just one student. Every child contributes to the classroom community. When students are absent, they miss opportunities to participate in group discussions, collaborative projects, performances, team activities, and friendships that help make a classroom stronger. Their presence matters to teachers and classmates alike.

So what's the balance?

✅ Plan trips around school breaks whenever possible.

✅ Keep travel-related absences occasional, not routine.

✅ Communicate with your child's school ahead of time.

✅ Look for opportunities to connect travel experiences to learning.

The goal isn't choosing between attendance and family experiences. It's finding ways to support both.

Every day in school counts. Every student counts. And the experiences children gain through family travel can be an important part of their growth, too.

❤️ Because learning happens in many places—but being present matters.

These last days of school are worth celebrating.

If your child has been showing up, working hard, and pushing through—that matters. Tell them so.

And if it's been a harder year: there's still time. Every day your child walks through that door is a win worth noticing.

As the school year wraps up, you might be finding your child struggling more.

Transitions can be hard.

Find the link to the article in the comments.

"Schools that conducted daily or weekly home visits saw better attendance rates, with students attending about seven more days per year." Jeremy Singer

From: https://hechingerreport.org/proof-points-michigan-absenteeism/

What Michigan schools reveal about reversing chronic absenteeism Time-intensive home visits show promise

"If you stopped showing up, it doesn’t mean you gave up on your future. It might mean the environment stopped meeting you where you were. Recovery from chronic absenteeism isn’t just about walking through the door, it’s about finding the teachers, the classes and the reasons that make it worth coming to class."

-Ryker Tovey

If your child has missed more school than you'd hoped this year, you're not alone, and it's not too late.

Schools across Maine are reaching out right now to reconnect. Not to make anyone feel bad, but because every student still matters in these last weeks.

If you hear from your school, we hope you'll pick up. They're calling because they care.

Find more resources on our website:

for families — Count ME In! Attendance Help for Maine Schools, Teachers, Principals and Students This page offers resources for families in Maine to support every day attendance.

"Families who disengage from school do so not because they are indifferent to their child’s education, but because they are overwhelmed and exhausted." Piper Bognar, Van D**e Public Schools

The end of the school year can be full of excitement and unpredictability. As caregivers, here are few things to remember. !