Kane County Regional Office of Education offers Support to Prepare Staff, Students for Extended Holiday Break
While the holiday season brings a wealth of reasons to celebrate and occasions to look forward to, the reality is that it is also a time of navigation for educators and students. A teacher, administrator, social worker, student, and family may have worked together during the first three months of the school year to establish a consistent attendance routine for the student.
Enter the extended holiday breaks.
For students, particularly those that struggle with absenteeism, winter break can serve as another obstacle between getting back to the rhythm of regular attendance once the calendar turns. Early and clear communication between staff, students, and families via multiple channels is a key method of intervention.
The Kane County Regional Office of Education (ROE) encourages school staff to:
- Send letters to families before Winter Break
- Detail the return date for classes
- Encourage families to avoid additional absences and highlight the value of consistent attendance
- Share what students can look forward to when classes resume
- Provide health-related information for families to help minimize time missed due to illness
Over the past year, the Kane County ROE has expanded its efforts to inform educators about the importance of specific holiday travel for students from different cultures and nationalities. Most recently, Dr. Deanna Oliver, Assistant Regional Superintendent, created a presentation along with Alejandra Moreno, a family counselor at the ROE, to highlight the annual pilgrimage to Mexico that many families in the region take.
The intent is to provide context on how these trips are beneficial to Mexican children and to equip educators with the knowledge of when and why they occur. It also encourages participants to embrace and understand the depth of this pilgrimage and how school staff can be supportive, including embedding schoolwork within and around these trips. This could be as simple as offering time for students to present about their experience once they return.
Dr. Oliver and Ms. Moreno have delivered this presentation at the Kane County Institute Day, National School Dropout Prevention Conference, and other networking events.
“We want to foster opportunities to learn, and you cannot do that successfully without consistent communication," said Patricia Dal Santo, Regional Superintendent for Kane County. “Our Youth Outreach team does an exceptional job keeping consistent communication with the students we work with as part of our
Truancy Intervention Program. It is no different with the educators or families we serve. We encourage families to provide ample notice to schools about important holiday travel such as this pilgrimage, and we invite school staff to speak with families about expectations that still remain for each child's attendance."
The Kane County ROE has also provided student attendance supports through professional learning opportunities this past month. The Professional Learning team offers a subscription-based delivery service called “Inspire", which provides educators with materials and activities that can be implemented in classrooms immediately. Each box features a different theme, with November being “Optimizing Attendance: Proactive Measures to Support Student Attendance."
The content of each box is organized to offer the most effective experiences and application of the materials within. The November package also contains book and article recommendations, activities for students to track attendance, methods to engage families about attendance, and other strategies and resources.
Jordan Eggleson, Professional Learning Coordinator at the Kane County ROE, includes a message to educators each time. This month, the message read: “When students are present, they engage more deeply with the material, build stronger connections with their peers, and contribute to a culture of collaboration and respect. Each day a student attends class, they're not just absorbing knowledge—they're helping to create a vibrant, safe, and engaging space where learning flourishes. Your dedication to making each classroom a welcoming and stimulating environment encourages students to value their education and recognize the importance of being there. By fostering a supportive atmosphere and modeling the significance of presence, you empower students to actively participate and invest in their own learning experiences!"
The ROE will continue to incorporate methods to support attendance in our work as the season progresses. More information on our programs through the Kane County ROE can also be found at kaneroe.org.
About Kane County Regional Office of Education
Kane County Regional Office of Education serves the residents of Kane County, IL. and assists nine school districts (U-46, Batavia 101, West Aurora 129, East Aurora 131, District 300, Central 301, Kaneland 302, St. Charles 303, and Geneva 304). Located at 28 N. First St., Geneva, IL, Kane ROE serves over 9,831 educators and covers 524 square miles. Kane ROE was recognized, in 2023, by the National Association of Government Communicators (NAGC) with two Blue Pencil & Gold Screen Awards. The awards recognized excellence in government communication & were presented for outstanding work in the Annual Report & Video Education categories.
