Attendance Policy

Garden City High School

ATTENDANCE POLICY

Philosophy

The purpose of the attendance policy is to encourage regular and consistent attendance and punctuality in school by all students. There is a high correlation between good attendance, academic achievement and successful every day work experience. To foster positive work and study habits, the Garden City High School administration and faculty believe that students must be in class in order to fully maximize their educational opportunities.

Students are expected to be on time and attend every class daily. Daily teaching strategies, such as, interactions between students and teacher, discussions, lectures, audio-visuals, and reports cannot be duplicated outside of the classroom and constitute a valid and crucial part of course work. Furthermore, each student is expected to contribute to the daily academic activities in their classes. When a student is absent the educational experience of all students will be diminished. Regular and constant school attendance helps develop responsibility, self-discipline and fosters the skills necessary for successful every day work experiences.

Policy

All students shall be in attendance a minimum of 90% of the time. This equates to missing no more that six (6) days per trimester. Every two (2) tardies to a class will equate to one (1) absence.

The following absences will not be used to determine the 90% minimum standard:

A. School-related absences

B. Absences due to documented funeral attendance.

C. Court mandated appearances (must have court documentation)

D. Absences documented with an original doctor’s note; the note must be given to the attendance secretary immediately upon return to school. Doctors notes must contain the date(s) the student was unable to attend school, and the doctor’s original signature.

E. Up to two (2) college visitations. The visits must be pre-approved through the student’s counselor and the attendance office. A college official’s signature on college stationary must be turned into the attendance office immediately upon return to school.

All other absences including family emergencies, vacations, truancies and suspensions count toward the total limit of six. Students who are suspended or truant will not receive credit for the class activities missed. However, a student will be able to make up credit for assignments and tests that are essential to the completion of the course at a reduction of one letter grade.

Long term illnesses and/or family emergencies that necessitate extended absences will be reviewed by the Associate Principal to determine whether or not class requirements have been fulfilled.

Students who accumulate more than six (6) absences will not have their trimester grade calculated unless they score a 78% (C+) or better on the course final exam. Students who do not score 78% (C+) or better on the final exam will earn an “E” for the class. REGARDLESS OF THE NUMBER OF ABSENCES, STUDENTS ARE REQUIRED TO ATTEND ALL CLASSES.

Procedure

1. Each and every absence must be accounted for by parents calling the school attendance office on school days between the hours of 7:00 am to 3:30 pm at 762-8370. A taped recording is available to accept messages during non-school hours.

2. Students reporting late to school must report to the attendance office before going to class.

3. Early dismissals and late arrivals, other than those assigned to a student’s schedule, must be accounted for by the parents through a phone call to the attendance office at the time of the late arrival or early dismissal. A student must be in class for thirty (30) minutes or more to be marked present.

4. The attendance office will record any absence unverified by a parent within 24 hours as unexcused and the student will not be able to make up the daily assignments missed.

5. Documentation excusing absences due to attending a funeral, college visits, court-mandated appearances and doctors notes must be given to the attendance secretary the day the student returns to school.

6. An attempt will be made by the attendance office to contact home each time an unverified absence occurs.

7. Parents are encouraged to check Parent Connect frequently for attendance information.

8. School-related absences must be verified by the event sponsor and a list provided to the attendance office.

9. Students who are under 16 years old and have attendance problems may be referred to Juvenile Court.

10. On a student’s fourth (4) absence in any class an intervention by the student’s counselor will be held. During the intervention a contract will be issued covering all classes and informative telephone call will be made to the parent. The student and parent must sign the contract and return it to the counselor.

11. It is the student’s responsibility to monitor their attendance. Prior to the end of each trimester students who have not met the attendance requirement will be notified if they must take the final exam and earn a C+ (78%) or better to have their trimester grade calculated.

Make-up work

The student, who has been absent, has the responsibility for securing and completing make-up assignments. The time allowed for make-up work shall not exceed twice the number of days absent. The teacher has the responsibility, when requested, to develop and assist in giving make-up assignments.

A student who has been suspended from school or is truant will not receive credit for the class activities missed; however, a student will be able to make-up credit for assignments and tests which are essential to the completion of the course at a reduction of one letter grade. The responsibility for such make-up work is with the student at the convenience of the teacher.

TARDINESS POLICY AND PROCEDURE

Philosophy

Being on time is a life skill that is important to each student’s future. Schools have the responsibility to teach the importance of this skill. Tardiness of individual students interrupts instructional time.

Promptness to class protects the teachers’ rights to begin instruction on time for all students.

Policy

Students are required to be in all classes on time every day. Tardiness to class is defined as not being physically in the classroom when the bell stops ringing. Students with a legitimate pass will not be considered tardy. If for some reason the bells are inoperative, the teacher’s discretion will be used.

TWO TARDIES PER HOUR SHALL EQUAL ONE UNEXCUSED ABSENCE, WHICH SHALL COUNT TOWARD THE TOTAL LIMIT OF 6 ABSENCES PER TRIMESTER. For example, if a student is tardy first hour on Monday and then again on Tuesday, the student has accumulated one (1) absence for first hour.

Students will be considered absent to first hour if they are more than ten (10) minutes late. If students are more than five (5) minutes late to any other hour they will be considered absent. A student must be in class for thirty (30) minutes or more to be marked present. For example, if a student goes to their third hour class and has an early dismissal ten minutes after the class starts they will be marked absent to third hour.

Procedure

• The teacher will close their classroom door after the bell stops ringing.
• The teacher will notify the student each time the student is tardy.
• The teacher will record every tardy.
• Parents should check Parent Connect to monitor classroom tardiness.

Senior Attendance Incentive – Third trimester only

Seniors (unless enrolled in an AP and/or Honors class) with a grade of B- (80%) and three (3) or less absences for the third trimester will not be required to take the final exam. All AP and/or Honors students must take their final exams. School-related absences and absences due to death in the immediate family will not be counted in this total and are not calculated in this exam exemption. A senior who does not have to take the exam may do so to try to better his/her grade. It will not be averaged if it does not help the grade.

Outstanding Attendance

Outstanding attendance will be recognized at the end of each school year for any student in grades nine through twelve who does not exceed three absences in all classes throughout the school year. All underclassmen with perfect attendance will be recognized annually at the Beverly Fristick Awards ceremony. All graduating seniors with perfect attendance for that school year and/or perfect attendance for all four years of high school will be recognized at the Senior Honors Convocation.

Attendance Appeals

When a student accumulates more than six (6) absences during a trimester a parent may do the following:

1. Set up an appeal hearing through the associate principal.

2. Be prepared to present explanation of ALL absences and tardiness at the time of the attendance hearing.

3. The student may, as a result of the attendance hearing:

a. Have credit reinstated based on appropriate documentation.

b. Lose credit in the class receiving an “E” for the trimester, indicating credit was not received for the class.

c. Be given the opportunity to take the final exam and earn a C+ (78%) which may allow their grade to be calculated.

4. If a student has accumulated more than six (6) absences and tardies (or any combination of absences and tardies totaling more than six) and any of the absences are unexcused, the appeal may be denied.

Unexcused absences may include but are not limited to:

a. Absences not reported by a parent within 24 hours.

b. Absences resulting from leaving class or school without permission.

5. If the student and parent disagree with the associate principal’s decision; the parent has the right to appeal the decision to the principal within five days. The following procedure is to be followed for appeals beyond the principal.

a. Within five days of the principal’s decision, the parent has the right to appeal to the Director of Student Services or the Superintendent’s designee to hear the case.

b. If the appeal is denied the parent has the right to appeal to the Board of Education within five days of the previous denial and is entitled to the following:

1. A formal hearing before the school board.

2. To be informed of the reason why credit was denied.

3. An opportunity to state why credit should be restored and to present evidence.

4. To have representation.