Attendance Procedures

Daily Attendance

Teachers are required to maintain accurate attendance for each student on their class rosters. This policy includes recording attendance within the first 15 minutes of every class each day in SchoolMax to include, late arriving students, early departures, dates for entering and transferring from classes. If a student is absent for three consecutive days from a class and teachers have not been notified that the absences are excused, the parent must be contacted via a telephone call, letter, and/or email. Record of the contact should be documented on the parent contact log.

Leavinga message does not constitute contacting a parent. Voice-to-voice contact must be made. The Grade/Attendance book is considered to be a legal document, and as such may be requested for review, without prior notification. Teachers are to ensure that they have communicated with the parent via e-mail, letter, or telephone.

Excused and Unexcused Absence Forms (Yellow Slips)

First period teachers are to receive excused notes and provide each student with a yellow slip stating whether the absence is excused or unexcused. Each of the student’s teachers must enter or correct the absence from unexcused to excused for the noted period of time. First period teachers should submit excused notes to the attendance secretary by the end of each school week. Fourth period teachers are to submit all excused/unexcused absence forms (yellow slips) to the attendance secretary at the end of each school week. [If the week ends on a day other than a Friday , the attendance secretary should be given all excused notes and yellow slips by the end of the specified school week.]

Makeup Work

A centralized location should be identified for picking up make-up work. Teachers are to maintain a spreadsheet of assigned work for A & B day with a sign-out sheet to indicate that work has been received for an excused absence.

Referral Process for Students with Excessive Absences

Upon the fourth occurrence of an unexcused absence, teachers will submit a PS74 to the grade level administrator and notify the student’s Professional School Counselor detailing actions that have been taken to resolve the problem.

The grade level administrator will notify the Attendance Office to send a certified letter and then refer the student to the Pupil Personnel Worker and/or the Student Instructional Team.

Tardy to School Policy

After 9:30am, students will report to the Attendance office to receive a time stamped yellow pass with appropriate SchoolMax attendance code.

1st offense for tardy to school / Excused /unexcused absence form with notation by teacher or attendance secretary
2nd offense for tardy to school / Parent contact made by teacher and/or attendance secretary
3rd offense for tardy to school / Detention and parent contact by teacher. The teacher refers the student to the Professional School Counselor.
4th offense for tardy to school / The teacher completes a PS 74 to the grade level administrator noting dates and times of prior interventions who will contact parent and refer student to School Instructional Team

Unexcused Tardy To Class Policy : A student receives an unexcused tardy when their arrival occurs after the ringing of the late bell without a pass or reasonable explanation for arriving late to class . The teacher should utilize their professional judgment in determining whether student’s explanation/tardiness is reasonable. No action is taken for reasonable tardiness.

1st offense / Student is directed to sign teacher’s log with date and reason for tardy. Teacher notes tardy in SchoolMax with time of arrival.
2nd offense / Student signs teacher log with date and reason. If tardy is unexcused, the teacher will make notification in SchoolMaxand contact student’s parent. Teacher notes tardy in SchoolMax with time of arrival.
3rd offense / Student signs teacher log with date and reason. The teacher will request a parent/teacher conference with Professional School Counselor or Administrator. The teacher notes tardy in SchoolMax with time of arrival.
4th offense / Student signs teacher log with date and reason. Student will be assigned detention by teacher/administrator. A PS 74 should be sent to grade level administrator noting continued tardy to class. The teacher and administrator should notify parent about student’s continued tardy to class.