ATTENDANCE
Attendance is critical for our students to become the architects of their lives. As such, we will follow this procedure:
EXCUSED ABSENCES
Upon arriving back to school, students should give their homeroom teacher a note explaining his/her absence. Homeroom teachers must submit these notes to Ms. Howell daily by placing them in her door slot.
The following are the only valid/lawful excuses that can be used for tardies or absences. All other excuses will be considered unexcused.
- Teachers should keep track of student absences. Per board policy, once a student has been absent three times, teachers must contact the parent/guardian. Letters will be mailed home after six and ten absences.
- Complete attendance during the first 5 minutes of each period on your own tracker.
- Take attendance in PowerSchool. 6/7 grade teachers should take it during during 1st period each day in the first 10 minutes. 8th grade teachers should take it during breakfast. Sangha will automatically generate phone calls to students marked absent, so consistent attendance taking is crucial.
Attendance is critical for our students to become the architects of their lives. As such, we will follow this procedure:
- 1st period teachers must take attendance daily. If a student comes late, the teacher must change the attendance code to 2A from 2L.
- After 3rd unexcused absence:
- Homeroom teacher contacts parent (phone call, text, email, remind...) using these key points:
- Introduce yourself
Notify the parent of the number of absences
Let the parent know how much you enjoy having the student in your class
Point out that attendance is a critical component of student success
Seek to understand: ask if the student is okay and try to find out the 'why' behind the absences
Share: School attendance is required by state law (G.S.115C-378) for all children between the ages of seven (7) and sixteen (16). The school is required by law to notify the District Attorney or the Director of Social Services if a student has missed more than 10 days of school.
Share: Students out of school for an excused absence should bring in notes/reasons for absences to the front office within three (3) days of return to school
- Introduce yourself
- Homeroom teacher emails Ms. Jones, Ms. Gay, Ms. Howell and cc's Ms. O'Meara to notify of student's absences and to inform on parent contact.
- If the homeroom teacher states in their email that they were unable to contact the parent, this team will find a way to make contact. We will conduct home visits for students whose parents we are unable to contact.
- Homeroom teacher contacts parent (phone call, text, email, remind...) using these key points:
- After the 3rd, 6th and 10th absence:
- Ms. Howell will send home a letter. She will process letters every Tuesday and Thursday.
- Ms. Howell will provide copies of these letters to Ms. Jones for documentation
- After the 10th absence
- If you notice a student has missed 10 consecutive days in your class, immediately notify Ms. Howell, Ms. Gay, Ms. Jones and administration. The principal and the attendance team will investigate and notify the district attorney or file a juvenile complaint.
EXCUSED ABSENCES
Upon arriving back to school, students should give their homeroom teacher a note explaining his/her absence. Homeroom teachers must submit these notes to Ms. Howell daily by placing them in her door slot.
The following are the only valid/lawful excuses that can be used for tardies or absences. All other excuses will be considered unexcused.
- Illness or Injury: When the absence/tardy results from illness or injury, which prevents the student from being physically able to attend school.
- Quarantine: When isolation of the student is ordered by the local health officer or by the State Board of Health.
- Death in the immediate family: When the absence/tardy results from the death of a member of the immediate family of the student. For the purpose of this regulation, the immediate family of a student includes, but is not necessarily limited to, grandparents, parents, brothers, and sisters.
- Medical or Dental Appointments: When the absence/tardy results from a medical or dental appointment of a student.
- Court or Administrative Proceedings: When the absence/tardy results from the attendance of a student at the proceedings of a court or an administrative tribunal if the student is a party to the action or under subpoena as witness.
- Religious Observance: When the student is absent due to a religious observance in accordance with local school board policy.
- Educational Opportunity: When it is demonstrated that the purpose of the absence/tardy is to take advantage of a valid educational opportunity, such as travel. Approval for such absence/tardy must be granted by the principal prior to the absence/tardy.