KEARNS HIGH SCHOOL
Memo No. 16August 2016
SUBJECT: ATTENDANCE POLICY & PROCEDURE
Regular and consistent student attendance is an integral part of the school program. Schools have a responsibility for providing programs that are relevant and stimulating, with well trained professional staff members showing a sincere interest in the learning process and well-being of the students. Teachers should make realistic assignments with the idea that regular attendance is essential for understanding and completing a course of study. However, it must be recognized that some absences are necessary and approved by the school. Teachers will allow for make-up opportunities. Counseling must also be an important part of any attendance program. In keeping with this philosophy, parents and students should accept responsibility and accountability for regular school attendance.
Guidelines should emphasize the academic risk of excessive absence and should stress improved communication for better understanding of student attendance.
Because the school is the established laboratory for learning with relevant and interesting activities being conducted daily, regular attendance becomes a vital factor in the grading process. Absence affects grades as students miss necessary instruction, practice, assignments and interaction with other students. Tardiness, too, represents a problem by distracting teachers and students from learning activities.
Attendance Procedure
1.Teachers should conduct roll call following the tardy bell for each class and carefully record attendance on the grade book program. This should be done during self-starter class time.
2.A computerized home call will be made from this list during the evening.
TEACHER RESPONSIBILITIES FOR PARENT NOTIFICATION:
In those cases, where a student develops a pattern of consecutive absences or is accumulating excessive absences (5 or more) a teacher is in the primary position to notice it and therefore has responsibility to make first contact with the parents of the student in question.
Please be advised that, it is the policy of Kearns High School that when an excessive absentee pattern becomes evident, the teacher has the responsibility to do the following:
1.Contact the home of the student to notify the parent of absences
2.Notify the counseling office of the student's absences and of your contact with the home.
3.Provide follow-up information to the counseling office if the pattern persists.
Computer attendance legend is as follows:
A = AbsentAny undocumented absence
D = Discipline/DetentionAny in school suspension or Administrative action
E = Excused by ParentWritten note or verbal communication with school personnel – may not exceed 56 periods or 7 school days
F = FuneralThree days excused for in State, one week excused for out of State
M = MedicalDr. note provided to excuse absence (Should state when the student was seen, and when they can return to school)
R = Release/School ActivityField Trips, Sports, Choral, etc.
S = SuspendedStudent sent home for school violations
T = TardyPer individual school tardy policy
U = UnexcusedSluff or undocumented absence
V = Family Long-Term VacationExtended time out of the Country or traditional vacation
L = Detention or Treatment FacilityStudent temporarily in lock down facility or in-treatment facility
C = CourtAny period of time a student is out of the building for a court proceeding
Students arriving after 7:30 a.m. with a parent note will need to go to the attendance office. Students arriving after 7:30 a.m. without a parent notewill need to obtain a tardy slip from the tardy office. Students with 6 or more tardies will be contacted by an administrator for disciplinary action. NO PHONE EXCUSES WILL ACCEPTED FOR TARDIES.
Checkout Procedure -- Every student who leaves school during the school day must check out in the main office. Parent/Guardian must come in and provide ID before a student can be checked out. Parents/Guardians may provide the school a name of an alternate person to check their student out, but that person must provide ID before the student can be released.