Attendance

We believe in the value of every student being in every class every day. Regular attendance is necessary if students are to receive full benefit from their educational experiences. The benefits of class discussion, individual student participation, teacher lectures and other classroom activities cannot be made up by those who are absent. A student's academic standing may be affected by his/her absenteeism. The awarding of credit will be based upon the student's academic performance in conjunction with his/her attendance. School attendance is the joint responsibility of the students, parents and school.

A student who exceeds ten (10) absences in a ten week term could face the following consequences.

• Staff member initiated Attendance Referral to the appropriate Associate Principal
• Parent/student conference with Associate Principal and/or letter documenting excessive absences
• Parking privileges suspended
• Student Disciplinary Contract
• Further medical documentation required
• Loss of credit
• Referral of Youth Assistance and Officer
• In School Suspension

Truancy:  Truancy is against the law for a student who turns age 11 on or after December 1, 2009 or a child who was 11 before that date and enters grade 6 in 2009 or later. The child Parent or Guardian shall send the child to public school during the entire school year from the age of 6 to the child’s eighteenth birthday.  Students who are truant/skipping will receive the appropriate consequence according to the school demerit policy located in the student code of conduct section of this handbook

Long Term Absences: Extended absences are strongly discouraged; however, a student may be granted an advanced excused absence when the parent/guardian feels it is necessary and no other arrangements can be made.  After notification by a parent/guardian, an advanced excuse form should be obtained from the attendance office one week prior to the absence to allow the teacher and student the opportunity to make arrangements to complete assignments. 

Early Dismissals: Students are not to leave school for any reason without an EARLY DISMISSAL PASS from the Attendance Office. An Early Dismissal Pass requires a parent/guardian to call the Attendance Office prior to the student's exit from the building. Students leaving without prior authorization from the Attendance Office will be recorded as absent from classes missed.  Parents are encouraged to call in prior to 12:00 pm for their child on the day of the early dismissal.  An early dismissal pass should be picked up in the attendance office.

Expulsion: Long term exclusion from the right to be present on school premises.

Out-of-School Suspension: Exclusion from the right to attend all scheduled classes and any after school sponsored events for a period of 1-10 days.

In-School Suspension: ISS will be used at the administrators' discretion when dealing with student behavior.

Long Term Expulsion: Long term expulsion is the exclusion from the right to attend scheduled classes/activities for a period of 11 or more days.

Tardy: Arriving at a scheduled class/location after scheduled starting time.  Tardies include late arrivals to school.

• To attend each class every day on time, attentive, and prepared
• To give prior notice to teacher of known absences
• To sign in and out through the Attendance Office when arriving to school late or leaving school early
• To seek and make up school work missed due to an absence
• To know their current number of absences

• To discuss with student, and follow-up with the school when necessary, on absences to help students develop responsible attendance habits
• To plan appointments and family vacations around the school calendar whenever possible
• To communicate extenuating circumstances that may affect attendance
• To submit correct home and/or work telephone numbers and any changes that may occur during the school year.  Any Address updates/changes need to be made to Central Enrollment

• To create an essential and meaningful classroom environment where a student's learning is enhanced by attendance
• To start class on time
• To keep accurate attendance records
• To contact the parent, administrator, and counselor of student's continuing absences and/or tardies in a particular class
• To work with students and parents when the student's absences are impacting the student's work

Part of the responsibility a student assumes more and more with maturity involves not only regular attendance, but also prompt attendance. Students are expected to arrive at scheduled classes/activities on time.

At the high school level, the following will not count against any attendance cap:

• Late bus
• Written verified detainment by school personnel
• Approved participation in a school activity

Students are required to be in class prior to the tardy bell. If less than five minutes late, students receive a "T" (tardy). If more than five minutes late, students are marked absent for the class.  This applies to all class periods with the exception of 1^stperiod.  For 1^st period only if less than 10 minutes late students receive a “T” (tardy).  If more than 10 minutes late to 1^stperiod students are marked absent for the class.  The school messenger system will call the student’s home the day of each tardy and/or absence.

NOTE: Tardies and absences are counted per class for the 10-week term. 

The automatic attendance dialer will call the student's home the day of each tardy.

CONSEQUENCES FOR TARDIES: 

• First Tardy = Warning
• Second Tardy = Warning
• Third Tardy = Parent/Guardian email notification
• Fourth Tardy = 30 Minute detention assigned with Parent/Guardian email notification
• Fifth Tardy = 30 Minute detention assigned with Parent/Guardian email notification
• Sixth Tardy = 60 minute detention assigned with Parent/Guardian email notification
• Seventh Tardy = 60 minute detention assigned with Parent/Guardian email notification

Students who receive their eighth (8) or more tardy will see their assigned administrator for disciplinary action.  The consequences could include but not limited to:  additional detentions, parking privileges suspended, In School Suspensions (ISS) or Out of School Suspensions (OSS).

MAKE-UP WORK GUIDELINES:

Make-up work encompasses only classroom assignments that are required to be turned in for assessment.

1. Making up course work following an absence:

A.  How much time shall be allowed for the make-up of course work?

Long Term: Assignments that have due dates seven (7) calendar days or more after the date of assignment are considered long term.

As long as a minimum of seven (7) calendar days are provided to the student to complete an assignment, the student is responsible for completing that assignment and turning it in on the due date originally assigned. If a student has an absence on the due date for a long term assignment, they are expected to turn in the assignment at the beginning of the class period for which the assignment is due the day they return from being absent. For any school sponsored activity or athletic event that requires a student to attend part of their school day, the student is responsible for completing any/all assignments issued and turning them in on the due date originally assigned.

Short Term: Assignments that have due dates six (6) or less days from the time the assignment is given are considered "short term". If a student is absent on either the date of assignment or the due date, they will receive an extra day extension on the due date equal to the amount of those absences. If the student has an absence that occurs between the date the assignment is given and the due date, an extension to the due date will be given in an amount of days equal to those absences only if the assignment is worked on during class on the days of those absences.

B. Shall special education students be given additional consideration?

The special education teacher responsible for the student shall, on an individual basis, determine whether special consideration need be given to a particular student based upon that particular student's needs as per the IEPC.

NOTE: Under unusual circumstances and with the approval of the building administrator, timelines may be adjusted.

PROCEDURES FOR ABSENTEEISM: 

The policy below shall be in effect with the administrator retaining the right to make adjustments in unique and extenuating circumstances.

A student's academic standing may be affected by his/her absenteeism.

1. The awarding of credit will be based upon the student's academic performance in conjunction with his/her attendance.

•  In cases where a student has had credit removed in three (3) or more classes, he/she shall be subject to suspension from school for the remainder of the term with subsequent loss of credit in all classes for the term. Prior to any suspension, the student shall be granted the right to an appeal as described in the Student Handbook , Appeals section.

•  Students are encouraged to complete assignments missed as a result of an absence. 

2. Students transferred from one class to another will carry forward all absences from the previous class.

3.   The teacher's class record book will be considered the official record of attendance.

4.  It is the responsibility of the student to know the number of absences accumulated on his/her records.

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STUDENT DISCIPLINARY CONTRACT:
Only for extenuating circumstances will a student disciplinary contract be granted and provide the student an opportunity to earn his/her way back into a class.

Recommendation by the building principal/designee: the building principal/designee may grant one (1) probationary contract per term to the student who has exceeded the absence limit.

In the absence of a recommendation by the building principal/designee for the probationary period, the student must follow the attendance appeals procedure.

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ATTENDANCE APPEALS PROCEDURE:

Decisions on the appeal shall be final.

Student must submit in writing (signed by parent/guardian) rationale and reason why he/she should not lose credit. This written statement must be submitted to the principal with 24 hours of the student being notified or the next working day.