Two Truths and a Lie

Objective:

• Build rapport among students, encourage sharing about school experiences, and gently introduce attendance themes.

Time: 5 minutes

Materials:

• Name-tag stickers
• Index cards
• Pens or pencils

Instructions:

1. Setup & Explanation (1 minute)
   • Give each student a name-tag sticker to wear.
   • Distribute one index card and a pen to each student.
   • Explain: “You’ll write two true statements and one false (a lie) about your school experiences. At least one statement should touch on coming to school (a time you faced a challenge, a proud moment of showing up, etc.).”
2. Writing Statements (2 minutes)
   • Ask students to jot down their two truths and one lie on the index card.
   • Encourage brevity and clarity (one sentence per statement).
   • Offer supports: sentence starters, one-on-one help, or drawing quick picture clues if writing is hard.
3. Sharing & Guessing (1.5 minutes)
   • Form a circle.
   • The first student reads their three statements aloud.
   • Peers discuss briefly and guess which statement is the lie.
   • Reveal the lie and move on to the next student until time is up.
4. Debrief (0.5 minutes)
   • Ask a few quick reflection prompts:
     • Which truths surprised you?
     • How did hearing peers’ experiences make you feel more connected?
     • Did any stories remind you of challenges you’ve had coming to school?

Accommodations & Supports:

• Allow students with writing difficulties to draw or use bullet points.
• Provide printed sentence starters for students needing language support.
• Pair stronger and emerging communicators together if some students feel shy.

Follow-Up Questions:

• What did you learn about a classmate that you didn’t know before?
• How can we use this activity to support each other’s attendance and sense of belonging?

Attendance Reflection Worksheet

1. Current Attendance Record

a. How many days have you missed this term? ______

b. List the dates and reasons (e.g., illness, family obligation, transportation):

1. Barriers to Attendance

a. Identify up to three main reasons you have missed school:

i. ________________________

ii. ________________________

iii. ________________________

b. For one of the reasons above, describe when it usually happens and how it affects your school experience:

1. Strengths and Supports

a. One personal strength or habit that helps me get to school regularly:

b. One person or resource that supports my attendance (peer, teacher, family member, technology, etc.):

1. Initial Attendance Goal

a. My attendance goal for the next term (be specific and measurable):

b. One strategy I can use to work toward this goal:

SMART Goals Activity Guide

1. Review Your Attendance Reflection

Refer to your entries in the Attendance Reflection Worksheet.

2. Understand SMART Criteria

Specific: Clearly describe what you want to achieve.

Measurable: Define how you will measure success.

Achievable: Ensure this goal is realistic for you.

Relevant: Explain how this goal matters to your attendance habits.

Time-bound: Set a clear deadline for your goal.

3. See Examples

• Weak Goal: “I will try to miss less school.”
• Strong Goal: “I will reduce my missed days from 4 this term to 1 or fewer by the end of Week 12.”

4. Draft Your SMART Attendance Goal

My SMART attendance goal is:

5. Plan Action Steps

List three specific steps you will take to reach your goal:

6. Anticipate Challenges & Solutions

Challenge 1: _____________________________________

Solution 1: _____________________________________

Challenge 2: _____________________________________

Solution 2: _____________________________________

7. Strategies for Overcoming Attendance Barriers

Below are common strategies you can adapt. Check the ones you want to try or add your own:

• Prepare your clothes, backpack, and lunch the night before.
• Set an alarm (or two) and place it across the room.
• Arrange a consistent ride with a family member, friend, or bus partner.
• Use phone or calendar reminders for bus times and morning routines.
• Talk with a teacher, counselor, or trusted adult when you foresee challenges.
• Create an attendance “buddy system” for accountability.
• Establish a healthy bedtime routine to get enough sleep.
• Plan a backup transportation option (e.g., call a family member).

8. Peer Feedback

Partner’s name: ____________

Feedback/Suggestions:

Strategy Brainstorm Worksheet

1. My SMART Attendance Goal
   (Refer to your draft in the SMART Goals Activity Guide)

1. Barriers I’m Addressing
   i. ______________________________________________

ii. ______________________________________________

iii. ______________________________________________

1. Brainstorm Possible Strategies
   (List at least 5–7 ideas that could help you overcome these barriers and meet your goal.)

2. ---

1. Match Strategies to Barriers
   (For each barrier, write one or more strategies you brainstormed.)

Barrier 1: _____________________________________

Strategy(ies):

Barrier 2: _____________________________________

Strategy(ies):

Barrier 3: _____________________________________

Strategy(ies):

1. Select Your Top 3 Strategies
   (Choose the strategies you will try first.)
2. Strategy: _______________________________
   Why I chose this: __________________________
   What I need to get started: ________________

1. Strategy: _______________________________
   Why I chose this: __________________________
   What I need to get started: ________________

1. Strategy: _______________________________
   Why I chose this: __________________________
   What I need to get started: ________________

1. Reflection
   Which strategy feels most doable right now, and why?

Resource Mapping Template

1. My SMART Attendance Goal
   (Refer to your draft in the SMART Goals Activity Guide)

1. Identify Your Top 3 Strategies
   (List the three strategies you selected in the Strategy Brainstorm Worksheet)

2. ---

1. Map Resources for Each Strategy

Strategy 1: _______________________________

People (Who can help?):

Tools & Technology (Apps, alarms, reminders):

Environment (Where will you do it?):

Schedule (When will you do it?):

Strategy 2: _______________________________

People (Who can help?):

Tools & Technology (Apps, alarms, reminders):

Environment (Where will you do it?):

Schedule (When will you do it?):

Strategy 3: _______________________________

People (Who can help?):

Tools & Technology (Apps, alarms, reminders):

Environment (Where will you do it?):

Schedule (When will you do it?):

1. Next Steps & Commitments

a. First action I will take this week:

b. How I will check in on my progress (who, when, how):

c. Potential barrier I might face and a backup plan:

Attendance Progress Tracker Worksheet

1. My SMART Attendance Goal
   (Refer to your draft in the SMART Goals Activity Guide)

1. This Week’s Dates
   From: _______________ To: _______________

a. Days attended this week: ___ out of ___ days (Target: ___ days)

b. Actions I took to support my goal (e.g., set alarms, packed bag early):

1. Reflection
   a. What went well?

b. Challenges or barriers I faced:

1. Small-Group Troubleshooting Insights
   (List 2–3 suggestions from peers.)

1. Adjusted Action Step
   (One specific change I will make for next week.)

1. Mini-Goal for Next Week
   a. My mini-goal:

b. Who will check in with me, when, and how?