25100 E. Belleview Ave., Aurora, CO 80016 | 720-886-6000 | dhanson4@cherrycreekschools.org

Infinity Middle School Community,

Our top priorities in Cherry Creek School District and Infinity Middle School are your child’s safety, academics, and whole well-being. To maintain and excel in these areas, it’s imperative that our kids come to school every day.

Did you know that 1 in 3 students in CCSD in the 2023-24 school year were chronically absent? The state defines chronic absenteeism as missing more than 10 days in the school year.

Chronic absenteeism significantly impacts a child's academic performance in the classroom. Over four out of five students who miss more than 10% of kindergarten and first grade are unable to read on-level by third grade. By 6th grade, chronic absenteeism is a critical warning sign that a student may not graduate high school. Missing just one lesson or period in class can seriously impact a student’s understanding of academic concepts.

We also know that consistent attendance improves our students’ whole well-being. Students who experience anxiety about school often find support with our counseling staff and their support team in our school building. Missing school can exacerbate anxiety when our students need to make up the work they miss, causing them to fall further behind.

To improve this process and best support our families, CCSD is shifting how attendance is tracked this year and changing the notification process to guardians.

If your child is chronically absent or misses more than ten days of school, parents or guardians will receive a letter from the district on behalf of our school notifying them of the issue. You will receive a second letter if your child misses more than 15 school days. Our hope in automating this process at the district level is to provide our school staff with more time to meet with caregivers and problem-solve if your child or family needs extra support to attend school every day. We understand there can be challenges and barriers that we would like to work together to address.

Caregivers and staff will need to work together to support our students in order to accomplish our goals of student safety, literacy, and well-being. If your family anticipates an issue with attendance this year, please reach out to our office, and we will make a plan to ensure your student gets to school.

We look forward to seeing your child’s smiling face in school throughout the 24-25 school year!

Thank you,

Dr. Dan Hanson

Principal, Infinity Middle School