Absence Procedures

 

Absences

Instructional time is an irreplaceable component of a student's education. Frequent absences adversely affect academic performance. Further, excessive absenteeism is a class distraction which interferes with the learning process. Considerable teacher and class time is required to help students understand material presented during their absence, thus reducing the time for regular class instruction or extra help. When a child is absent parents are asked to telephone the High School Office between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. at 395-0500. Ext.2261. If not notified the Attendance Officer will call home.

Returning to School Following an Absence

Upon returning to school a student must bring a note within 48 hours written by a parent or guardian, addressed to the attendance officer, and stating the cause and exact date(s) of the absence. When students have been absent for three or more days, they must bring the note to the Health Office to secure an admission slip.

Legal Absences

The only legal reasons for absence from school are illness, death in the family, religious observance, required court appearance, college visits, quarantine, impassable roads or weather making travel unsafe. All other absences are illegal.

Illegal Absences

There are two categories of illegal absence. Absence with the knowledge and permission of a parent, such as early departure for vacation, is considered a planned absence. Students who intend to miss school with their parent's permission must complete a planned absence form at least one week prior to missing school. Absence without the knowledge and permission of a parent is truancy. Truancy that results in a student missing more than ten minutes of a 40-minute class period or twenty minutes of an 80-minute class period is considered a class cut.

Consequences for Truancy and Class Cuts

Students who are truant or cut class will be placed in after school detention and restricted from participation in Extra-Curricular activities. Their parents will be notified immediately. Students who cut a class will receive 60 minutes of detention. 

An ongoing pattern of truancy/class cuts will lead to additional disciplinary action including a parent conference with the Assistant Principal after the second cut, the loss of open campus privileges, and suspension. (See Co-Curricular Code of Conduct for Participation in Co-Curricular Activities.)

Absences in Physical Education

Required Attendance:

All students must attend 80% of their regularly scheduled Physical Education classes. Make-up classes will only be accepted if the student was legally absent. Illegal absences cannot be made up. If a student falls below 80% because of illegal attendance, he/she will fail for that marking period.

Temporary Excuse:

Students whose parents wish them to be excused from physical education participation for a day or two because of a cold or minor illness must present a written request from their parents to the physical education teachers prior to class. Students are still required to attend class on that day.

Long Term Excuse:

Students must have their doctor's orders in writing stating reason and length of time they are to be excused from physical education participation. This should be done before school at the Health Office. At this time the student's program will be modified to meet specific needs. The student is still required to attend his/her regularly scheduled physical education classes.

Early Dismissal

If a student must leave school early, he/she should bring a parental note to the High School Office

The note should state the reason and exact time of early dismissal. A student who feels ill during the school day must go to the Health Office to get permission to leave. A student who wishes to leave for any reason other than illness must get permission from the High School Office. If a student does not return to school after lunch, the High School Office must be notified by phone. A student who leaves the school before dismissal without permission is considered truant. The "cutting" of classes will result in after school detention and may result in suspension.

Make-up Work Due to Absences

It is imperative that students make up all missed work promptly. Generally, students are expected to obtain missed assignments from the Portal, Google Classroom or reliable classmates. Students are encouraged to make up work while they are convalescing to the extent that it is possible to do so.  If an assessment occurs during an absence, a student is expected to be ready to take the assessment upon return to school.

Planned Absence:

A planned absence is an absence with knowledge and permission of parents:

Planned Absence Forms must be completed at least one week in advance of your absence in order to provide teachers with sufficient notice to adjust your assignments.

Truancy/Class Cuts:

Truancy/class cuts are illegal absences without knowledge or permission of the school and parents.

• Tests and quizzes cannot be made up. Students will receive a failing grade.

Note: The faculty does not assume any responsibility for assignments or make-up work for illegal absences.

Student Responsibility for Work Missed Due to Absence

All make-up work is the responsibility of the student.

• On the day following an absence, students should arrange a meeting with their classroom teachers in order to create a plan to make up all missed work.

• If the student fails to arrange to make up work at that time or doesn't complete the make-up work by the agreed upon time, the student may receive up to a full grade penalty (A to B) for each day the commitment is not fulfilled.

• Teachers are responsible for announcing and posting their policies on make-up work at the beginning of the school year and/or semester. These may include, but are not limited to, homework, papers, lab reports, tests, college visits, illness, and early dismissal/late arrival.

TARDINESS

Students who arrive late to school should report directly to the attendance office for an admit slip and should present their note to the attendance officer at that time. The Assistant Principal will review all excuse slips to determine if the lateness is a legal tardy. The only legal excuses for school tardiness are the same as those for legal absences.

Late to School 

Students are late to school if they arrive illegally after the start of their first period class (8:30 a.m.)

Students are permitted to be late to school once per Quarter. The second, third and fourth illegal tardy will result in detention for 15 minutes. The fifth illegal tardy and all subsequent tardies will result in students being assigned detention for 30 minutes.

Late to Class

Students are late to class if they arrive after the start of class without a note from a member of the faculty or staff. Students who are late to class will be assigned 15 minutes of detention for the second, third and fourth illegal tardy. The fifth illegal tardy will result in students being assigned detention for 30 minutes. 

Class Cuts Due to Lateness

When a student has illegally missed either ten minutes of a 40-minute class or twenty minutes of an 80-minute class, he/she will be considered to have cut that class. Insofar as the work is concerned, the student has forfeited the right to take a test or to make up work unless the teacher decides otherwise.