Sometimes, meeting students where they are strikes up the connections and belonging that help foster better attendance and then learning! For example, this first grader happened to be skateboarding in the back parking lot. I could have gotten in my car and left for home since it had already been a 10-plus hour day, but this was an opportunity to cultivate a relationship, and I, too love skate-boarding and roller skating. When I rolled up, it blew my student's mind away; he could not stop talking and loved the attention of rolling with Mr. Clay. To this day, he has not missed another day of school, and his attendance rate has gone up over 80 percent this school year.