ATTENDANCE & PUNCTUALITY

Regular attendance and punctuality are essential to a student’s progress and to the formation of good habits. A student is considered tardy at 8:01 AM
 
Students who are absent/or late in excess of 20 school days may be retained or required to make up work in summer school. In cases of 8 ^thgraders, participation in graduation may be in jeopardy unless work/summer school is completed. Extraordinary circumstances will be handled on an individual basis by the Principal.
 
If a student leaves before 12:00 p.m. the student is considered one half day absent.

For the safety of the children, parents are requested to call the school office before 8:15 a.m. if a student will be absent that day. Please let us know if you are requesting homework. Calls received later in the day make it difficult to gather work since the students change classes. Homework can always be checked through the teacher’s website.
 
Excessive absences: A student who is excessively absent will be reported to the school’s attendance officer and a parent conference may be requested by the principal. After three consecutive days a doctor’s note must be presented to the teacher.

Three unexcused late arrivals will disqualify a student from perfect attendance.
 
The principal determines Excused and Unexcused absences.
 
Unexcused absencesare those absences whereby a student is absent, truant, on a family vacation or on a non-school trip taken outside of regularly scheduled school holidays,for which the school did not receive a note.
 
Excused absences:  Are absences when children are ill, there is a death in the family, school sponsored activity, etc.  During excused absences, class work is made up upon the child’s return to school. Work is not usually provided in advance.  Take your Child to Work Day is a non- school sponsored event; therefore, if you choose to have your child participate in that event, your child will be marked absent.
 
Upon returning to school the student must present an absence note signed by the parent/guardian explaining the reason for absence. If no note is presented, the child will be marked as an unexcused absence. These notes are kept on file for one year. Three or more day’s absence requires a doctor’s note for re-admission to school. In cases of communicable diseases a physician’s note is also required. If your child does contract a communicable disease such as, strep, measles, lice, please call and report to the office so that we may issue a health alert to all parents.  All such reports remain confidential. 

Parents are asked to limit special appointments during school hours. If necessary, a note must be sent to the Main Office before 8:30 a.m. the morning of the appointment. Students will be released from class only through the school office to a parent or designated guardian. Students coming from a doctor or dentist appointment must bring a note from either one of the above when returning to school.

When students are absent they must make arrangements with their respective teachers regarding making up of missed work. This work needs to be made up within two days of the absence unless it is an extended absence. In this case special arrangements will be made with the teachers.