• Attendance and Absences

    Coming to school on time every day, ready to learn, is important for your child's success and is required by state law for children between the ages of 7 and 16. 


    Please help your student to be prompt in arriving to school.  Students need to be seated in class when the bell rings at 8:30am. Students should arrive at least five to ten minutes before that time in order to walk to their classrooms, put their items away and be seated at their desk ready to learn.  Sometimes children are late arriving to school and sometimes they are late in getting to the classroom because of breakfast or simply taking their time. There are many factors that contribute to tardiness, and it is often a very difficult habit to break. 


    Excused absences include:

    • student’s illness or injury
    • a death in the immediate family
    • health care appointments
    • court appearances
    • religious observance
    • natural disasters
    • outside educational opportunities (you will need to complete the Request For Excused Absence For Educational Reasons Form in advance)

    You will need to provide a note within two days of your child's return to school or the absences will be recorded as unexcused. Your principal or teachers will notify you if there are three or more unexcused absences, and will work with you and your child if there is a concern that absences are becoming excessive. Your child will need to make up all work he or she missed, as scheduled by the teacher.
     
    After 6 unexcused absences: a 6 day 1700 attendance letter is mailed home re: Law Violation §115C-378
    After 10 unexcused absences: Causes and barriers impeding school attendance are analyzed and staff will implement interventions based on expectations involving parents, guardians, students, etc.  At this point, parents can be placed on an attendance contract to evaluate “good faith effort” in areas such as follow through, parent communication and level of responsiveness and will receive a 10 day unexcused attendance letter  (Please
    Note: this is the minimum eligibility to file with District Court)
    At 15 total absences: parent/guardian will be informed of student’s attendance standing and a Letter requiring doctor’s note will be sent to students who accumulate 15+ absences. Administration will determine if a court referral should be made.