Tardiness and Absenteeism
Regular and punctual attendance is extremely important to your child’s daily success. It is vital that every effort be made to have your child at school on time everyday. Students who arrive after class begins find themselves in the position of trying to catch up. It is important that students be in class when instruction begins at 8:25. Students not in class by 8:25 will be counted as tardy. It will be an unexcused tardy unless a note is provided by the parent. A note indicating a family is running late or overslept will still be considered unexcused. Three unexcused tardies will be counted as one absence.
Each morning at the very beginning of the school day, the students do a Math-A-Minute quiz. Math-A-Minutes quizzes each contain 15 problems starting in the areas of addition and moving on to subtraction, multiplication and division. The quiz is one minute. Students work on these each night as part of their homework and then test the following day. Students progress at their own rate moving to the next level of difficulty as they complete their current level. Students math scores overall have been positively impacted by this program.
All students will also be involved in a reading block that will begin promptly at 8:45 each day. In order to benefit from these programs, it is important that students be here at the start of school every day. The reading program emphasizes a lot of verbal instruction, so it is extremely difficult for students to “make-up” work that is missed.
We recognize the fact, however, that emergencies and illnesses can cause a child to be tardy or absent. If this occurs, parents should contact the school by phone (330-7631) or by note. All late arrivals MUST check in through the office before going to class. If a student has been absent and you have not telephoned the school to excuse the absence, a note explaining the absence should accompany the student upon his return to school. This note should be given to the child’s teacher or to the attendance office. Students who return to school without a note or a phone call explaining the absence are counted as “unexcused”. Absences and tardies are only excused for the following reasons: illness, health condition, family emergency or religious reasons. All other reasons will be recorded as unexcused.
The laws are very clear with regards to absenteeism. As a result of the Becca Bill, which is now in place, the following will transpire when a student has accumulated absences and tardies.
- After one unexcused absence Parent/guardian will be notified in writing or by telephone. Parent/guardian will be notified of potential consequences of additional unexcused absences.
- After two unexcused absences within any one month Conference will be scheduled with parent/guardian. Steps will be taken to eliminate or reduce absences.
- Five unexcused absences in a month Enter into an agreement with the student and parent/guardian. Refer to the community truancy board. File a petition leading to court action.
- After seven unexcused absences in a month, or ten unexcused absences in a school year, the district shall File a petition leading to court action.
Early Departures
Early Departures from the students’ instructional day causes a disruption to the entire classroom and therefore is greatly discouraged. Please schedule appointments for your child outside of the school day. It will be at the discretion of the Principal to release your student in the last half hour of the day. Students MUST be checked out through the office during the day. You will wait in the office and the classroom will be notified to send the student. Students will ONLY be released to a person listed by you either by note, phone call or in the student information system. All persons attempting to have a student released to them NEED to come prepared to show picture ID. This helps to further ensure your child’s safety. Buses will not release students to parents once on board to protect your child from adults unknown to bus drivers.
Illness at School
If your child should become ill at school, the office will contact you. If you are unavailable, we will attempt to contact the alternate number on your enrollment card. In order to insure that contact can be made, it is important that we have current phone numbers at all times. If your home phone number or your emergency number changes, please notify the school of this change.
We often are told by students that they are not to go out for recess. Our expectation is that all students who are at school will go out for their scheduled recess time. If there is a medical reason for your child staying in, please contact us and we will attempt to work out a solution.
The school district employs a school nurse. She is not in the building every day. She is available on an “on-call” basis.
