Arvins Capture Six Years of Perfect Attendance

It seems that almost everyone has stayed home a day or two from school or work—not necessarily because of illness, but rather because you did not feel like going.

Twins Sophia and Nicholas Arvin are the exception. The Palisadians had perfect attendance from kindergarten through fifth grade at Palisades Elementary.

Principal Joan Ingle recognized the twins for their accomplishment at a school assembly on June 5. “They are really amazing,” she said. “They have been here every day, rain or shine, sniffles or no sniffles.

“Sophia and Nicholas have a good attitude,” Ingle said. “I’m proud of them.”

“We were thrilled when Principal Ingle highlighted the accomplishment in front of 600 students and parent,” dad Chris Arvin told the Palisadian-Post.

Arvin, an estate planning and probate lawyer, and his wife Monica Lafia, a luxury residential interior designer who has been featured on the cover of Architectural Digest and has designed homes for Wayne Gretzky, Kenny G and Rob Lowe, have often discussed with their kids how the school loses money if they are absent.

California public schools funding is based on student attendance. Schools receive $35 per day for each student in attendance. The twins have helped Pali Elementary receive $75,600. (Multiply 180 school days by $35, and then by six years, it’s $37,800 for one child.)

“We discussed how important attendance is in keeping students on track for great grades,” said Arvin, said that Sophia and Nicholas had received all A’s on their most recent report cards.

“At the beginning, I did not want to go to school, and I tried to stay home a couple times,” Nicolas said. “They said I could if I really did not feel good, but after a rest I would have to do my school work. My mom told me if she took me around for a bagel and fun, then the policeman would ask why I was not in school.”

Sophia said, “I also initially wanted to skip school because many of my friends stayed out sick. I thought it would be fun to stay at home, baking cookies and watching television.”

Although the parents travel frequently and there have been educational opportunities on business trips to Atlanta, New York and San Francisco during the school year, Sophia and Nicholas opted to stay at home and attend school.

“My dad had a business trip to Atlanta, and he wanted to take us to see great history (Civil War sites) and the Coca Cola Factory,” Nicolas said. “I said that I did not want to ruin my perfect attendance at Pali Elementary, even though the trip sounded exciting.”

“A few times over the years I had stomachaches or headaches, but wanted to go to school so I did not miss something or get behind,” Nicolas said. “Our parents always said we could always come home if we needed. That made us feel good, that they were here if we needed them.”

“We work overtime to instill positive behavior and responsibility in our children, and are pleased with their attitudes on education and their passion for learning,” Arvin said. “We would disagree with those that routinely take their kids out of school for vacations, or business trips for a week plus at a time. In our view, this is not only a fiscal matter [dollars lost by school] but also sets the standard and the tone for the future of the students.”

Arvin and Lafia, who have lived in the Palisades for 16 years, have researched to see how many children have perfect attendance for kindergarten through fifth grade. “We believe only a few students have perfect attendance through grade school, and have not heard of any twins with perfect attendance for six years,” they said.

Sophia and Nicholas will start sixth grade at Paul Revere Middle School next week.