How Many School Days Can You Miss in MA Before it's an Issue?

Taking a look back at my school days in Berkshire County, I was one that enjoyed going to school. I attended elementary, middle, and high school in northern Berkshire County. When I was in elementary school, my walk to school was only a couple of minutes because I lived at the top of the street where the school was located. It wasn't until I entered sixth grade that I walked about a mile to and from school each day. Back then Silvio O' Conte Middle School in North Adams was the school I attended. I know I sound like one of those people that say "back in my day, I had to walk miles through snow, sleet, and rain to school, etc." but it's true that I walked about a mile each way to school Monday through Friday. That wouldn't happen these days but I loved it. Once I entered high school, the trip to school wasn't as much of an adventure as I took the bus and then eventually drove myself to school.

During My School Days in the Berkshires, I Prided Myself on Not Being Absent

One thing I never took advantage of was sick days. If I was absent, I truly had to be sick. I had this idea in my mind that I shouldn't be absent if it wasn't legitimate, though I did have friends that took advantage of sick days, that wasn't me. I always had excellent attendance noted on my report cards and even though my grades were good, I was proud of the comments on my attendance.

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For Those Who May be Wondering, There is a Certain Number of Days One Can Miss from School in Massachusetts Before it Becomes an Issue Which is Labeled "Chronically Absent"

According to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Massachusetts defines Chronically Absent as missing at least 10% of days enrolled (e.g., 18 days absent if enrolled for 180) regardless of whether the absences are considered excused, unexcused and/or for disciplinary reasons. Being chronically absent can have a significant impact on a student's ability to read at grade level, perform academically, and graduate on time.

Whether attending school in person or learning in a remote fashion, one needs to be present in order to stay on top of things and not fall behind. Obviously, there can extenuating circumstances but if one can avoid being absent from school (or at least keep it under 10%), it will pay off in the long run. Learn more about Massachusetts student attendance and absenteeism by going here.

30 famous people you might not know were college athletes

Stacker dug deep to find 30 celebrities who were previously college athletes. There are musicians, politicians, actors, writers, and reality TV stars. For some, an athletic career was a real, promising possibility that ultimately faded away due to injury or an alternate calling. Others scrapped their way onto a team and simply played for fun and the love of the sport. Read on to find out if your favorite actor, singer, or politician once sported a university jersey.

Gallery Credit: Sophia Crisafulli

LOOK: The most famous actress born the same year as you

Many of the actresses in this story not only made a name for themselves through their collection of iconic performances, but also through the selfless, philanthropic nature with which many of them approached their stardom. In an age of flipping the script on societal norms, many of these actresses are using their voices and platforms to be advocates for those who are otherwise unheard.

Gallery Credit: Ben Wittstein