Tamika Elston has five children at Love School — two sets of twins — and making it to school on time and each day is a priority for her. As a result, they have nearly perfect attendance.

“When I was a kid, my parents didn’t take my attendance seriously,” she said.

Determined to do things differently, she now prioritizes attendance, knowing how it influences academic growth.

“I go hard for my kids — I want them to be the best that they can be and it starts by getting them to school every day so that they can learn every piece of material that they can learn,” Elston said. “That’s why I take my kids’ attendance very seriously: it affects their reading, their writing, just their learning overall.”

Tatiana Perez stands outside Love School with her three children: Carmelo, Camila, and Celine during “Pajama Day” of Red Ribbon Week. Each has nearly perfect attendance not only this school year but for the past several years.

James Grant is the single father of a second grader. Antabella, he said, loves to come to school and has very good attendance.

“The most important thing is Antabella’s education,” he said. “She’s excited to come to school. We go to bed early so we can get up early.”

That routine has been pivotal to helping her create good habits. James makes sure Antabella is in bed each night around 8:30 and up each morning by 6:45.

“Having a set routine in the morning and at night helps,” he said. “Snack time, dinner time, bath time, and go-to-sleep time — in that order.”

Tatiana Perez — a mother of three — wakes up her oldest child, Carmelo, a fourth grader, around 7 each morning. Carmelo then wakes up his sister Camila, a second grader, who then wakes up their youngest sibling Celine. Together, the trio have nearly perfect attendance so far this school year and have in the past as well.

“I think it teaches them responsibility,” said Perez. “So they’re going to school every day and when they get a job, they’re going to have to go every day. I started working a job at 14 and I feel that responsibility is important to have at a young age.”

Her students love attending school as well.

“One day, I had to pick my son up from school for an appointment and he was actually bummed that he had to miss gym or miss math,” she said.

Larry Campbell’s son Logan was recently diagnosed with ADHD — so the routine of going to school each day is an important one.

“He’s so bright and loves hands-on and STEM stuff — I make sure he’s here everyday so he can continue to learn and do cool things,” he said, also noting how pleased he is with the way staff at Love School take care of his son.

“They take good care of the kids,” he said. “They’re very responsive and they let you know what’s going on. I’m constantly getting messages over my phone and if I’m able to text back, I do.”

Perez appreciates the continued communication as well.

“So even if they’re misbehaving, they’ll tell me what’s going on throughout the day and everything,” she said. “Sometimes I’ll call the school just to talk to my kids and check in, but the teachers communicate a lot with me, so it helps.”

Elston encouraged families not to be discouraged if they struggle to get their kids to school, but to be diligent and establish a routine.

“Establishing a routine is so key — even if that’s getting up 10-15 minutes earlier than the kids so that you can establish a routine or getting the routine down,” she said. “When things are in order, it’s a lot easier. Establish some type of a routine. When you get into a routine, your kids see it and they adapt to it.”

And to ask for help if it’s needed.

“If they need help, reach out — there are people who can help you. If you can’t get your kids here, reach out and be proactive,” she said. “We’re all one here. We all try to look out for each other.”

“I can’t do it all by myself — the school has helped tremendously,” Campbell added. “The future is important. I’ve already had my time here — it’s time to point (Logan) in the right direction.”