School attendance is extremely important and absenteeism in elementary school typically leads to truancy in middle and high school. When children miss more than 4 or 5 days of school each year, they are at a greater risk of not passing classes and earning a high school diploma. It is also critical that students arrive to school on time; even a few minutes late is disruptive to the child’s day. When children are sick with a fever, they should stay home. However, children should go to school when they have the sniffles or other minor aches, as long as there is not a fever.