School Counseling Attendance Incentives

Let’s talk all things attendance! I am quietly loving the idea of not giving away attendance incentive prizes at the moment… ahhhh, did I really just say that?  If you are in elementary like me, you probably see the majority of attendance issues are not because of the kids. In high school, I can see doing some amazing attendance incentives because most students have more control in that area. However you view it, kids need to be attending some sort of school to learn. Whether that’s virtually or seated, being present is going to determine the success of student outcomes.

So, how do we get them excited to come to school? 

I will first and foremost always come back to this one… build relationships! Everyone in the building can make a huge impact on a students day simply by smiling, saying something nice, helping a student, and making them feel good. Kids need to feel connected to school, they spend countless hours there… they need to feel like they belong and they are loved. If they feel that, they will come and their parents will want them there. I’ve had tons of parents over they years move out of district. Then, all of a sudden the student comes back and the parents tell us “we just didn’t know how good we had it” and “you guys are all so nice, we couldn’t stay away.” This is impactful for a family system and goes above and beyond what a treat, token or giveaway could ever do.  

Multiple Ways to Earn Attendance Incentives

This is something that weighs heavy on my heart and I don’t want to leave anyone out of an opportunity. So, I have tried to make several different ways students can earn an attendance incentive prize. We have offered monthly, quarterly, and end of the year incentives for individual students. But, we have also added monthly classroom prizes as well!  

Attendance Incentive Ideas

But, if you are looking to add to your pocket of tricks, here are some things I have used in the past that add a little fun to attendance. But, remember relationships first throughout the entire building… then sprinkle in the fun!

• Wheel of Names (Random Name Generator) – I would enter the students who had perfect attendance for the month into the name generator and draw 10 students for a prize.
• Goody Bags – I spelled out the word ATTENDANCE on the bulletin board with goody bags and 10 students were chosen to receive a bag.
• Roll the Dice – This is where students who were drawn from having good attendance can roll a giant die and whatever number they land on, they get the corresponding prize.
• Traveling Trophy – This is a class prize for the classroom with the highest ADA percentage. It is delivered at assemblies and travels each month to different classes. They place it outside their door for everyone to see.
• Class Pizza Party – We held a pizza party for the class with the highest ADA percentage for the semester.
• Party with the Panther – Each quarter we had students come and “Party with the Panther”! This looked like Dance Parties and Snack Parties with music. The kids loved coming to this one!

So, when it’s time to rev up the attendance incentives again… you will have a stockpile to choose from! Just remember to think about the ones that are not here every day and make sure to allow for celebrations throughout the year. Mixing up ways to earn prizes can be very helpful for those who may not be striving for perfect attendance.  

Check out this cute and interactive bulletin board to help keep you on track!