Check which of your child's absences count under the new policy

About this exercise

Your daughter missed 4 days this fall, and you want to know which count as excused under the district's attendance policy. You want one numbered line per absence, under 50 words total, each starting Excused, Unexcused, or Policy doesn't say, then the section in parentheses where one applies. Use the 2026-27 policy, not the old one a parent posted, plain text, nothing else.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

• Trusting the parent group. The Facebook post sounds confident, and the AI may follow it for the family trip. Try: Say: "Use only the 2026-27 policy."
• Guessing on unusual cases. A flood isn't covered, so the AI decides based on what seems fair. Try: Add: "If the policy doesn't cover it, write Policy doesn't say."
• No fixed labels. The AI writes paragraphs with 'likely excused', which doesn't tell you what to do. Try: Give them: "Excused, Unexcused, or Policy doesn't say."
• Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for a total word limit and it often lands 10-20% over. Try: Cap each line: "each line under 8 words."
• Getting markdown back. AI defaults to bold labels and headings, which show up as stray symbols in a note to the attendance office. Try: Ask for "plain text, no bold, no headings."

What a strong prompt includes

• Gives exact labels
• Names the current policy
• Asks for sections
• Sets a length limit
• Asks for plain text

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