Attendance

Regular attendance is important to school success and to establishing patterns of work ethic and responsibility.  Many times it is impossible to make up the missed instruction caused by an absence, at least in its entirety, because of unique involvement in class participation.

Procedures: If the student must be absent, the parent / guardian can either call the attendance office or the student can bring a note upon return to school.  In order for the absence to be excused, the absence must be cleared by the attendance office within 48 hours of the absence by calling School Phone number.

Establish responsibility for attendance at school as resting primarily with students.  However, parents / guardians and the school also share responsibility for prompting and encouraging positive attendance habits in students.  The successful completion of classes depends greatly on a student’s punctuality and regularity of attendance.  While a small number of absences might, on the average, do little harm, there is a point where attendance directly affects learning and thereby affects the grade a student receives.  Further, if an absence is prolonged, either by a collection of sporadic absences or one continuous absence period, there comes a time when it cannot be said that the student has taken the whole class.  The student who has only taken part of a class cannot receive credit for the whole class. The following policies and procedures are designed to help students develop and practice responsible attendance habits and increase their potential for academic and employment success.

Excused Absences: An excused absence shall be verified by the parent / guardian or school authority responsible for the absence.  Students 13 and older have the right to keep information about drug, alcohol, or mental health treatment confidential. 
The following are valid excuses for absences and tardiness:
   Illness or a health condition;
   A religious observance, when requested by a student’s parent(s);
   Family emergencies; and Required court proceedings. 

On the tenth (10) high school excused absence within a semester, the school may request medical documentation of illness.  Without this documentation the absence may be considered unexcused.