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Attendance

Regular attendance is essential if students are to be successful in school.  Chronic absences interrupt the education of your child.  School personnel will make every effort to encourage regular attendance, but the ultimate responsibility lies with the students and their parents/guardians. 

Time of Arrival

Our school day begins at 9:15 a.m. and ends at 3:45 p.m. for grades K through 4.  Students will not be permitted into the school building before 9:00 a.m.  If the student arrives after 9:15, parents must enter the school and sign-in the student.  All students are expected to be in their classroom ready to go by the final bell at 9:15 a.m.  If they arrive at their classroom after the 9:15 a.m. bell students are considered tardy to school.  

Grade K-4 Absence Procedures

  • A student is considered tardy if he/she arrives within 90 minutes after the start of the school day.  

  • A student is considered absent for half a day if he/she misses more than 90 minutes at the start or end of a school day.  

  • A student is considered absent for a full day if he/she misses four or more hours of the school day.  

  • A student is also considered absent for a full day if he/she arrives at school but is picked up within 90 minutes.

  • A doctor’s note will be required for ten total absences due to medical reasons.  If a doctor’s note is not provided within three days of the request, the absences will be considered unexcused.

Absences

Visit Campus Portal and use the top left Menu button to access  More > Absence Requests  (see example screenshot below)

  1. Select the student(s) you are reporting absence.

  2. Use the Excuse dropdown list to choose the reason the student(s) will be absent.

  3. Choose an Absence Type for a full day, arrive late, or leave early.

  4. Enter the absence Day and Time. If a full day, enter the first and last day the student will not be at school (can be the same day).

  5. Enter Comments about the reason for absence.

  6. Choose the Submit button at bottom when finished.

 

example screenshot

 

 

Previously submitted absence requests for the student can be Viewed or Deleted using the options at the bottom of the Absence Request area, including those made by other guardians in the household. If your child is not at school, and the school has not received notice of absence, the school will call the parent or guardian.  

Truancy/ Unexcused Absences

Tardy and Early Release (Unexcused)

  • When a student has been tardy and/or has had early releases from school five times without a valid excuse within a semester, a letter will be sent home from the school as notification that the school is concerned with the student arriving late/leaving early.

  • When a student accumulates five unexcused tardies, the tardies will be considered one unexcused absence. 

Absent

  • When a student has missed ten days of school due to illness, a letter will be sent home from school as notification that there is a concern and any future absences will require a doctor’s note.

  • There are consequences when students are continually absent from school without a valid excuse.  If an elementary student is absent three days within a single school year without a lawful excuse, that student is considered “continuing truant,” according to state law (statute 260A.02).  The school is required to notify a parent when a child is a continuing truant.  If the child continues to be truant, schools are mandated to report the truant behavior to the county.

  • When a student has missed three full unexcused days of school, a letter will be sent home from the school as notification that the student is considered to be “Continuing Truant”. 

  • When a student has missed five full unexcused days of school, a letter will be sent home from the school as notification that the student is nearing the possibility of Educational Neglect.

  • When a student misses seven full unexcused days of school, a letter will be sent home from the school as notification that the student is considered to be “Educationally Neglected”.  At this time, the school will file an educational neglect petition with county social services.

Early dismissal

Early dismissals are discouraged.  Students leaving a few minutes early often miss important last minute instructions and/or reminders.  Interrupting classes to call students to the office also distracts other students and interrupts the end of the day classroom routines.  Early dismissals should occur only in rare circumstances or emergencies.  Please make every effort to schedule appointments outside of school hours.  

Students leaving early will be marked as early out.  This is considered the same as a tardy. 

Releasing Students from School

  • The school will accept a phone call (with verification of identity), a note from home, or the parent/guardian coming in when excusing students early.

  • In all cases, students must be signed out of the office by the person picking up the child no later than 3:00pm.

  • If the school is unsure of who is signing the child out, questions need to be asked of the adult and/or student to verify the legitimacy, i.e., child's birth date, child's middle initial, child telling the school who the adult is, showing an I.D., etc.

  • Students may not be picked up from the classroom but instead must be picked up from the office.

  • Students will only be released to persons listed on the emergency form unless a note is given to the office from the parent- verbal requests and phone calls for someone other than those listed on the emergency form cannot be honored.