Heritage Attendance Policies |
ABSENCE FROM SCHOOL
The attendance office will contact parent / guardian, using the home calling machine. If the machine does not make contact, a secretary will attempt a personal phone contact.
ABSENCES – EXCESSIVE / UNEXCUSED
Parent / guardian contact will occur when a student has a predetermined number of unexcused absences and/or excessive absences. They will be requested to attend a conference at school to develop a plan of action. Furthermore, as required by state law, when a student has a predetermined number of unexcused absences and/or excessive absences, the attendance matters will be referred to the court system.
COURT ORDERED APPEARANCE FOR TRUANCY
As required by law, schools in Washington State are required to report excessive absenteeism to an Attendance Officer. If a student has 7 unexcused absences in a given month and/or 10 unexcused absences in a school year, the Attendance Officer is required by law to report this information to the Juvenile Court system for legal action.
DAILY ATTENDANCE
Teachers will mark a student absent in their grade book and on the computer when students are not attending class. To excuse an absence, students will need a note from a parent or guardian with a legitimate excuse and/or a parent phone call to excuse the absence within three days.
Students and parents have 3 days to clear up an absence. If an absence is excused, the student will be allowed to make-up the missed work, if it is possible, and make-up missed class time. It is the student’s responsibility to ask each teacher for make-up work. DOCTOR’S NOTE
Absences of 5 or more days require a doctor’s note to excuse your absences and/or permit you to make up and earn credit for missed work.
EARLY DISMISSAL / EXITS
Students who must leave school early for appointments, illness, or family emergency need to bring a note from parent / guardian to the attendance office, (before school starts), stating the date, time, and reason for the early dismissal. Students are then given an Early Dismissal pass from the attendance office to be shown to the teacher of the class they are to leave.
Sign out in the attendance office at the time of leaving campus. Upon returning from the absence, sign back in through the attendance. Not following this procedure will result in an unexcused absence.
Ninth and tenth grade students are not allowed to sign out of school for early dismissal without parent or guardian present unless approved by one of our administrators.
Junior and Senior students may sign themselves out of school with written permission from parent/guardian. A phone call will be made to parent/guardian to varify note. Please be sure to include a phone number where you can be reached during the day.
EXCUSED ABSENCES
Excused absences include: Verified illness, School-related, (field trips, musicals, athletics, suspension, etc.); Doctor appointments; Pre-arranged, (parent requests); and, Emergencies. Unjustified absences and/or unexcused notes may result in the student not being allowed to make-up missed work. Teachers’ classroom policy will determine whether a student will be allowed make-up missed work in these cases.
EXTENDED ABSENCES / HOME TUTOR
For long-term illnesses resulting in a student being absent 4 or more weeks, a home tutor is available by contacting a school counselor.
MAKE-UP WORK & MAKE-UP ABSENCES
All absences can affect your attendance grade. However, certain absences can be made up. Students with excused absences will be given opportunity to make up work and to make up absences. Excused absences must be verified in writing by a parent, guardian or emancipated adult, and must be turned in to the Attendance Office within 3 days upon returning to school from the absence. If a student’s absence is excused, it is the student’s responsibility to see his/her teachers on the day they return to class concerning make-up work. Students participating in out-of-class, school-related activities such as musicals, field trips, etc., are responsible for the work that goes on in each class the day they are absent. Students are also responsible for assignment deadlines and test dates. If, in the judgment of the teacher, the absence would not affect the completion of an assignment or the preparedness for an exam, the student is responsible to meet the assignment due date or test date. For example: An assignment given on Monday is due on Friday. Even though the student is absent on Wednesday, the assignment may still be due on Friday. When student absences are due to illness or health conditions of five (5) or more days in duration, upon return of the student to school, teachers may require verification by appropriate medical personnel in order for a student to make up and earn credit for missed work.
PRE-ARRANGED ABSENCES
These absences include vacations or any pre-planned extended absences. The student’s responsibility is to bring a note from parent / guardian to the attendance office stating the date and reason for the absence, and the time to be dismissed. Then take a pre-arranged absence form to each teacher to sign. Return the form to the attendance office when completed. Failure to follow the above may result in unexcused absences and/or no make up and/or credit for missed work.
SCHOOL-RELATED ABSENCES
In certain cases, lists of names will be given to teachers to indicate students will be absent for school-related reasons. The student is responsible for notifying teachers of the classes to be missed prior to the absence. Upon returning to school, it is the student’s responsibility to ask for the make-up work and complete it in a timely manner.
SPORTS / ACTIVITY PARTICIPATION ELIGIBILITY
Students must be in attendance for at least 1/2 of the school day to participate in that day’s practices, activities, and or athletic events. Please refer to the Athletic and Club Handbooks for specifics on this guideline. Coaches and advisors will inform their students of the importance of attending school everyday in order to participate in programs.
TARDIES
Punctuality is a good work habit! Being tardy is defined as arriving to class after the tardy (second) bell has rung. In order to excuse a tardy, a student must present a pass signed by a staff member excusing the tardy. For the purposes of attendance, 2 unexcused tardies will equal 1 unexcused absence. ARRIVING TO CLASS TEN MINUTES AFTER THE TARDY BELL WITHOUT AN EXCUSED NOTE WILL BE CONSIDERED AN UNEXCUSED ABSENCE INSTEAD OF A TARDY.
TRUANCY / SKIPPING
A student is truant when a parent / guardian are unaware of an absence, or the absence is not justified. Skipping is being absent from part or all of a required school activity or class. Students may not be allowed to make up work when skipping or truant. This decision is made by the student’s teacher(s). Disciplinary action may occur if a student is skipping or truant. Truancy examples include:
· Leaving school without signing out in the attendance office.
· Leaving school at lunch without a pass.
· Absent from school without pre-arranged permission.
· Absent from class without permission.
· Obtaining a pass to go to a certain place and do not report there directly.
· When ill, going home or staying in the restroom instead of reporting to the health room.
· On school district grounds but not attending class.
· Failure to attend a required assembly or activity.
