Dear Parents,

Welcome to the new school year! I am so excited that your child attends one of the most outstanding schools in the Canton School District.

My name is Lena Seals. I am employed with the Mississippi Department of Education through the Office of Compulsory Attendance Enforcement and Dropout Prevention. Your child’s school attendance is my focus.

Regular school attendance is key to academic success. Your child needs to be at school to fully maximize his/her educational opportunities. As the parent, you set the expectations for your child to be present and successful at school.

The Mississippi Compulsory School Attendance Law requires regular school attendance for every child who has attained the age of six (6) years on or before September 1 and who has not attained the age of seventeen (17) years on or before September 1 of the calendar year.  This requirement also includes any child who has attained or will attain the age of five (5) years on or before September 1 and has enrolled in a full-day public school kindergarten program.

You may ask, “How many absences are too many?” Missing more than two days a month can impact a child’s learning and establish poor attendance habits that are hard to break. Please familiarize yourself with your child’s school attendance policy related to the allowable number of unexcused absences and time limitations for submitting acceptable excuses.

Thank you for partnering with me to prioritize school attendance for your child.

It’s going to be a great year!

Sincerely,

Lena Seals

Ms. Lena Seals, M. ED                                                 

School Attendance Officer, Madison District  

lseals@mdek12.org

Cell: 662-820-1156