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Attendance & Academic Support Policy

Rationale

School attendance has a significant impact on academic achievement as well as community involvement and connection. There are different interventions for different types of absences.

Conduct

  • Students and parents are responsible to ensure that attendance is maintained and to clarify if the absence is excused.

  • If a student is absent, parents must call, text, or email the school by 8:30 am.

  • If a student is absent, students/parents must inquire about missed work

  • Students are expected to be on time and prepared for every class

  • If a student is late, they must sign in at the office and get a late slip before going to their class

Excused Absences

  • Student Illness

  • Health Appointments

  • Family Emergency

  • Personal Safety Issues

  • School trip/event (sports, etc.)

  • Family Travel

Lates 
  • First block = 10 minutes or more is considered late
  • Other blocks = 5 minutes or more is considered late
Students Going Off Site
  • Students in grades K-7 on not permitted offsite unless a parent signs them out
  • Students in grades 8-12 are allowed offsite during permitted times provided they have parent permission 
  • Students must sign out before they leave and sign in when they return 
  • If a student leaves to go offsite but does not sign out, the school cannot be responsible for the students whereabouts 

Interventions for Lates

If a student is late three or more times in a set 5-day window of school, they will serve two days of lunchtime detention. Lates will be handled in the following manner and resets after two months:

  • 1st offence – 2 detentions

  • 2nd offence – 2 detentions & a warning parents to be contacted

  • 3rd offence – 2 detentions & parents' meeting

  • 4th offence – 2 detentions & possible suspension 

Unexcused Absences (skipped class)

  • Skipping classes to go get food/drink

  • Missing classes due to getting to school late, leaving early, etc.

  • Missing 20 minutes or more of a class period of the class without a valid reason

Students who are late by 20 minutes or more will be considered to be ‘skipping’ unless they have reasonable reason or have been excused by their parents.

Interventions for Unexcused Absences

  • After skipping one class, the student will serve two lunchtime detentions, and parents will be contacted.

  • If another class is skipped, the student will serve two lunchtime detentions and a parent meeting will be requested.

  • Following a third offence, the student will serve a definite suspension

  • Subsequent offences will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis

Academic Support Plan

It is expected that students are participating meaningfully in their learning and are keeping up in their courses. When students’ marks slip to failing marks or their pacing in classes lags, it is usually because of absences, inattentiveness, or failure to complete assignments. It is the school’s responsibility to do whatever possible to help students stay caught up in their schoolwork and engaged in their learning. As such, the school has several policies and structures that aim to keep students on track for their benefit.

Students not staying on pace in classes and/or with low marks can be placed on an Academic Support Plan. 

First Tier Supports

  • Loss of off-site privileges 

  • Requested on-site Flex Days 

  • Lunchtime Support Blocks

Second Tier Supports 

  • Temporary loss of participation in athletics, drama, extracurricular, etc. 

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