ABSENTEES AND ATTENDANCE POLICY
Students are
expected to be present in the classroom by 8:00 AM in order to prepare for
the beginning of classes. A warning bell rings at 8:05 and the tardy bell
rings at 8:10 AM. The school day begins at 8:10 AM. After three tardies
per grading period (9 weeks), the student will serve a detention. A phone
call from a parent or guardian to the school office by 8:30 AM is required
for any absences, tardiness, or schedule changes. This line is available 24
hours daily and messages may be left before/after school hours. If the
school initiates the effort to locate the student, the absence will be
considered unexcused.
¨
A
statement from a licensed medical professional documenting an absence can
cause an unexcused absence to be changed to an excused absence.
¨
If
your child is absent 3 consecutive days, a statement from a licensed
medical professional must be provided upon return to school.
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Absence up to 10 days, with communication from the parent, will be recorded
as excused. All absences exceeding 10 days must be verified by a
licensed medical professional.
¨
Excessive absences and tardies will adversely impact academic progress.
This may result in referral of excessive unexcused tardies and absences to
Child Protective Services as educational neglect.
Children are
expected to attend school each and every day. Saint Mary’s Catholic School
recognizes excused student absences for the following reasons, when such an
absence is verified by parent, guardian, physician, or other responsible
agency:
a.
Personal illness that involves fever, vomiting, diarrhea, accidents,
injuries, or other illnesses that a physician recommends absence.
b.
Death of immediate family member ( parent, grandparent, brother,
sister).
c.
Medical or dental appointments that cannot be scheduled outside the
school day.
d.
Travel for a limited time period that involves new educational
experiences for a student, which is requested, on an infrequent basis, by
parent or guardian at least one week in advance of the proposed absence.
This request must be made in writing and sent to the office for principal
approval, not the classroom teacher.
(E-mail is not
acceptable for this type of request- only a handwritten or typed letter).
Failure to do this could result in an unexcused absence which could
impact on grades and missed assignments. See attendance letter in appendix
for additional information.
e.
Other highly extenuating circumstances that will be determined by the
principal either in advance or on the day of the absence.
f.
Service as a page in the Indiana General Assembly.
To provide consistent and
appropriate action regarding students with a suspected attendance problem,
these procedures shall be followed for every student who acquires the number
of absences. (This is based on the understanding that 10 days’ absence, for
any reason, is excessive).
REGULAR ABSENTEES
10TH
The parent is requested to attend a parent/school conference with the
principal and/or designee(s) and school nurse representative.
12th
A letter is sent to the parent requesting that all future absences be
documented with a “doctor’s statement” and outlining other actions that may
be taken.
14th
At least two personal contacts have been made, or attempted, with the
parents to discuss attendance.
15th
A
“First Legal Notice” is issued.
16th
A “Second Legal Notice” is issued.
17th
A “Citation for Non-Attendance” (from the Prosecutor’s Office) is mailed to
the parent, a referral is made to the Division of Family & Children for
“educational neglect” and the student’s attendance is reviewed with the
principal. Subsequent Absences- Notify the Prosecutor’s Office
CHRONIC ABSENTEES
Any student whose parents
received a First Legal Notice, Second Legal Notice, or a Prosecutor’s
Citation during the previous year:
3rd Letter stating the resumption
of legal proceedings if the absences continue.
4th Resumption of legal
proceedings.
The attendance
person and school nurse will maintain close communication on all health
issues regarding students. When a student attains 10 or more absences for
illness, with or without a doctor’s statement, the school nurse will be
consulted to determine if a more thorough explanation of the student’s
chronic illness pattern is needed from the physician.
If your child is
well, he/she should be in school, and if he/she is ill, he/she should be at
home. Generally, your child will be sent home if he/she shows one of the
following: elevated temperature (100.0+), vomiting, pain in chest or
stomach, fainting, injury, any condition meriting doctor review- pink eye,
unexplained rash or redness etc., and pediculosis (head lice or nits).
Students should be fever-free for 24 hours prior to returning to school for
the safety of all students.
Parents must have
on file the home phone number, work number, and the number of a relative or
friend who will be responsible for caring for the child if you are unable to
be contacted.
Any student
arriving after 8:10 AM, or leaving before 2:50 PM for any
reason will be counted tardy. If a child is tardy, he/she must get a
pass from the office before going to class. ALL children should be
brought to the office and signed- in on the office log by whoever brings the
child to school. A student will not be permitted to enter the classroom
without a tardy pass form the office. A student will be considered
absent for a half day if he/she misses the majority of his/her classes
during the morning or afternoon. Time-on-task is very important. All
students should be prepared and in their seats by 8:10 AM and remain at
school until dismissal at 2:50 PM. Lunch will be considered the middle of
the day.
Written excuses
are required for tardiness and absences and should be sent to school with
your child upon his/her return if you did not call to report the absence.
Arrangements should be made for homework so that your child will not fall
far behind in classwork.
Perfect
Attendance Awards will be presented to students at the end of each quarter
and at the Awards Day ceremony at the close of the school year. Perfect
attendance is defined as being at school all day, every day, for the entire
school year. Students missing less than two hours for an out-of-school
medical related appointment shall not be counted absent toward the Perfect
Attendance Award. A note from the doctor’s office should be sent in to
the school office. Any student having two or more tardies
(arriving late or leaving early) shall be ineligible for the Perfect
Attendance Award.
UNEXCUSED/EXCUSED ABSENCES
An
unexcused absence will result in the student being required to make up work
missed including tests. The student will not receive a grade for this missed
work. The loss of grades could affect a student’s grade point average.
An excused absence will result in the
child being required to make up work missed, including tests, and the
student will receive grades for work completed.
If
requesting a planned absence be excused, please submit a letter (e-mail will
not be accepted) to the principal (not the classroom teacher), prior to
the absence, stating the request and reason for the request. The teacher
may or may not give work in advance of the absence. A travel
log may be assigned at teacher discretion. Eighth grade students will be
allotted one excused absence in order to shadow for a day at
his/her prospective high school.
Teachers may provide opportunities for the student to make up the work that
was missed through excused absences only. It is obvious that certain types
of work cannot be made up.
Out of town trips and vacations are discouraged on
school days.
If
a student must be absent from school for one day or more, regardless of the
reason, it is his/her responsibility to obtain knowledge of the school work
missed during this absence and to complete all required assignments by due
dates assigned by the teacher(s). Except for illness, a student is
responsible for all missed work, including tests, on the day he/she returns.
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