ATTENDANCE

As a result of the Education Improvement Act of 1984, guidelines have been established for student attendance and absences.  Attendance is a requirement for promotion and/or credit.  Students must attend 85 days of each 90-day course to receive 1/2 unit of credit; 170 days of yearly course to receive 1 credit.

No student who misses all or any portion of a school day, unless excused by the principal, shall be permitted to participate later that day or that evening in any extracurricular or school-sponsored, authorized or related activity or event.

Failure to attend class constitutes an absence. Students previously enrolled in the district and those residing in the state entering for the first time shall be counted absent without excuse (for promotion/credit consideration) for each day missed due to late enrollment. All absences are defined as lawful or unlawful. Students are not permitted to make up work for unlawful absences.

 

LAWFUL ABSENCES      

Per state law, lawful absences have been defined as follows:

1. Students who are ill and whose attendance in school would endanger their health or the health of others may be temporarily excused from attendance.
2. Emergency medical or dental appointments that cannot be scheduled outside of school hours. Beginning and ending times must be recorded on the appointment slip by the doctor’s office and only the appointment time and minimum travel time will be excused.
3. Students in whose immediate family there is serious illness or death.
4. Students may be excused from attendance in school for recognized religious holidays of their faith.
5. Students may be excused from attendance in school if they are required to be present in a court of law. Judge or attorney verification is required in writing.
6. Students who are absent due to suspensions.
7. Students who have pre-arranged absences for other reasons* and/or extreme hardships at the discretion of the principal.
8. Students may be excused from attendance in class(es) for participation in activities representing the school if they have a passing average in each class they will miss and have not been excessively absent.

*Excused absences do not include family vacations, gatherings or celebrations

 

Notes for Absences

All absences will be listed as unlawful until the student petitions the Attendance Office to change the status of the absence by bringing a written note from a parent or guardian including a verifiable excuse. All students should accept responsibility for submitting a note for any absence promptly and within 3 days of the absence.  All business with the Attendance Office must be conducted outside of class hours. Taking class time to submit an excuse or obtain an ID card does not exempt a student from the attendance policy.

Excuses are valid only for the date(s) of absence(s) and must contain all of the information specified:

1. Student’s first and last name
2. Date(s) of absence
3. Reason for absence(s)
4. Parent/guardian’s full name and signature with date excuse is written
5. Phone number(s) where parent can be contacted for verification

 

Note:  After 3 days, if the student has not turned in an absence note, the absence will be coded as unverified/unexcused, and the student will not be allowed to turn in any assignments or make up tests.  (No late absence notes will be accepted at the end of the year to correct this situation).

 

Students who are absent 3 or more consecutive days MUST bring a doctor or parent note (falling under an excused absence) within 3 days of their return to avoid becoming truant. Students have up to 3 days of return from a lawful absence to complete missed assignments. If a parent note or medical documentation is received after 3 days following their return to school, the absence will be considered lawful, but unexcused.

Note: Students participating in approved field trips, late due to bus problems, and assigned to in-school suspension programs are not considered absent.

All students who were previously absent, arrive late, or leave early must go through the Attendance Office. Notes for absences should be delivered to the Attendance Office either before school, during lunch, or immediately after the school day ends. Physicians’ notes, excuses for legal appointments and information about a death in the family are important factors in determining if credit can be awarded.

 

Advanced Approval for Absence

Students must complete an “Advanced Approval for Absence” form prior to the absence to be excused from class(es) to participate in activities such as:

●       state and national competitions

●       performances and a scheduled dress/final rehearsal related to their art major

●       ceremonies honoring students

 

Forms are available in the Attendance Office or can be accessed on the school’s website. This should be turned into the Attendance Office five (5) days in advance of the absence.  See below:

 

1.     Parent/guardians should establish and document the purpose for the absence offering a complete explanation.

2.     Students should be passing ALL subjects.

3.     Students should have a good attendance record.

4.     Students should secure the written approval of the building level administrator.

5.     Students should have approval of ALL teachers whose classes they will miss.

 

SOA discourages students from missing school on days prior to or immediately following a holiday.  Failure to follow policy will result in the absence being counted as “unexcused”.  An “unexcused absence” means a student will not be allowed to make up work.  A number of unexcused absences can result in a truancy situation or failure to meet exam exemption requirements.

 

No forms are required for permission to participate in a religious observance.   A parent/guardian should send a written note to the Attendance Office notifying the school of a “Religious Observance” absence.  E-mail or fax notification is not accepted.  

 

UNLAWFUL ABSENCES

Per state law, unlawful/unverified absences have been defined as follows:

1. Students absent from school without the prior knowledge of the parent.
2. Students absent from school without acceptable cause with parental knowledge.
3. Students suspended from the school bus and not reporting to school.
4. Absences in excess of ten days per year will not be considered excused with a parent/guardian note unless they are accompanied by official medical or legal documentation.
5. Students absent from class as a result of extracurricular activities not approved by school administration.
6. Absences due to out of town trips/vacations.

 

CHRONIC ILLNESSES

Parents of a student with a chronic illness (one which recurs and may cause the student to miss excessive days) must contact the school as early as possible in the school year so that a chronic illness form can be secured and filled out by the medical doctor. School officials may contact the doctor concerning the illness. Chronic illness written verification by a doctor must be renewed each quarter and will go into effect on the date the doctor verifies the condition. Even when the school has verification of a chronic illness, absences must be excused by the standard procedure. The parent must send a note to the Attendance Office specifying whether the absence is directly related to the chronic illness condition.

 

EARLY DISMISSAL

Students are expected to attend all classes each day of the school year except in the case of medical and family emergencies. According to State guidelines and in accordance with the Educational Improvement Act of 1984, no students should be called from a class for early dismissal unless it is an emergency.

 

The parental request for a student’s early dismissal is not an excuse for an absence. The student should bring the appropriate excuse back upon his/her return to school. Example: A doctor’s appointment followed by a doctor’s excuse or a court appearance followed by a court note. In cases where a student must leave school before the end of the school day, please adhere to the following procedures:

1.     Students are required to obtain a pass to leave early from the attendance office. This is done by bringing a handwritten note to the attendance office prior to school beginning on the day of the early dismissal.  No email, fax or phone calls will be accepted. If the note isn’t turned in the morning, the student won’t be called out of class. Students should only leave the school between classes or at lunch time.  It is the student’s responsibility to inform the teacher that they will be quietly leaving the classroom at the approved time.  We do not call into the class unless it is a family or medical emergency. Every effort should be made to schedule doctor or dentist appointments before or after school. Students should stagger their appointments so that they won’t miss the same course.  A medical statement from a physician will be required upon return to school in order for the absence to be excused.

2.     Dismissal notes should include the student’s full name, signature of parent/guardian, reason for dismissal, who will be picking the student up, and a phone number where the parent/guardian can be reached for verification of the early dismissal. Students will be waiting at the Attendance Office for the time written on the early dismissal note. Parents/guardians must come into the Attendance Office to sign their student out.

3.     Phone calls, emails, and faxes are not accepted to call a student out from class to meet a parent at the Attendance Office or outside. If a prior early dismissal note was NOT turned in, the parent, guardian, or emergency contact must come to the Attendance Office to call the student out from class.

4.     Dismissal notes for the end of blocks are required to avoid class interruptions. Students cannot be called out of classes for dismissal after 3:00 p.m.

 

TARDY POLICY

School begins at 8:30 a.m. Students should plan to arrive at school by 8:10 a.m. in order to be in class by the time the tardy bell rings at 8:30 a.m. Students who are late to class are required to obtain a pass from the staff member who sends the student to class.  If a student needs to see the school counselor, nurse, etc., the student should report to class on time and then ask for a pass to go to the counselor, the clinic, etc.