5.40 Student Attendance Overview In order to meet high academic standards, regular and timely attendance in school is integral in the teaching-learning process, as most learning activities and experiences cannot be duplicated outside of the classroom. Given the value we place on attendance and punctuality, we have established the following policies and procedures to help ensure students attend regularly and punctually. Regular attendance is expected of all students and is a necessary factor in achieving success. Students are expected to arrive to school by 8:00 a.m. every school day. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL General Guidelines for Students in Grades EC3 to 5 • A student is expected to attend school a minimum of 168 days throughout the year in order to be considered as having completed a grade level program. •

Absences are categorized as follows: An Excused Absence may be granted for the following reasons:
student illness, recovery from accident or health treatment (a physician’s certificate is required after 3 days)
serious illness or death in the immediate family
legal business
observance of a religious holiday
approved prearranged absence An Unexcused Absence from school or class is an absence:
for which a parental note, email or phone call of explanation was not provided
that follows a prearranged absence request that was not approved
for such reasons as early, extended, or additional family vacations, nonschool activities , or visits
due to late night activities that cause a student to be absent the following day
of which the parent has no knowledge

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For a student with 6 absences, either Excused or Unexcused, the parents will receive a letter indicating the total days of absence recorded in the system. The Principal may confer with the parents to determine the circumstances surrounding the absences to determine if further action is necessary.

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For a student with 10 absences, either Excused or Unexcused, the parents will receive a second letter indicating the total days of absence recorded in our system. The parent and/or guardian must submit a written statement explaining the reason for the absences. The Principal may request a second conference with the parents to determine the circumstances surrounding the absences to determine if further action is necessary.

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Excessive absence from school is defined as 12 or more days absent, Excused or Unexcused.
A student who misses up to 12 days of school over the year due to Excused Absences will be considered as having completed a grade level program. Any exceptions may be determined on an individual basis at the discretion of the Administration. Please see criteria for Excused Absences.


A student who misses more than 12 days of school over the year due to Unexcused Absences may, at the discretion of the administration:

o be removed from the After School Activity program for the year o attend after-school detention with a teacher or Principal for a period of time o be at risk for retention in the grade level (as determined by the homeroom teacher, guidance counselor and Principal) o lose their placement at AISB •

All absences, Excused or Unexcused, affect a student’s learning. As a result, once a student has reached more than 15 absences (Excused, Unexcused, or a combination), the Principal may confer with the parents to determine the circumstances surrounding the excessive absences to determine if further action, as described above, is necessary.

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Students who have missed more than 12 days (6 in a semester) for any reason are not eligible to travel for school events. Exceptions may be made upon appeal to the Elementary Administration.

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Students who are off campus due to school related events (e.g. 5th grade ski trip) will be marked as Present.

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A student must be in school for at least 3 blocks to be marked Present for the day.

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A student must be marked Present to engage in extracurricular activities that day.

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Students who do not arrive to class by 8:00 am will be marked as Late.

Notify the Office of Absence It is very important for us to know why your child is absent in order to ensure your child’s safety. Parents must notify the Elementary Office if and when a student will be absent from school by emailing or calling the secretary at [email protected] 40-21-2044300 no later than 8:30 am. If a parent has not called by this time, school personnel may call to check on a student’s absence. In the event that phone contact is not made by home or school, parents are requested to send a signed and dated note on the day the child returns to school explaining the reason for the absence. If a student needs to leave school for part of a day, a note must be sent to the teacher in advance. A student who becomes ill and needs to go home must check out through the Elementary office. Leaving school grounds without permission from the Elementary office or Doctor’s Office is not permitted. Prearranged Absences Any preplanned occasion or circumstance that includes educational, religious or special family events involving a student’s absence from school requires a parent to request in advance principal authorization for a prearranged absence. A student must be progressing as expected in all subjects as confirmed by the teacher in order to qualify for an approved prearranged absence. The absence should be prearranged in writing by the parent, giving the full details of the absence and at least 5 days prior to the date(s) on which the absence(s) is to occur. Prearranged absence forms are available in the Elementary Office. The student is responsible for completing and handing in any work missed within the time frame specified by the teacher. An overall grade could be affected if major assessments or projects or assignments are missed.

Extended Absences Extended absence from school is defined as any absence that occurs before the official start of a school holiday or after a session resumes. This includes beginning school after the start date or leaving before the final day of school. •

Approval for extended absences for reasons other than those stated as Excused should be requested as a Pre-Arranged absence in advance from the Principal.

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AISB provides a school calendar with ample breaks throughout the year. Absences from school for travel on dates other than those scheduled school holidays are strongly discouraged due to their effect on a student's overall learning and academic progress. Parents are encouraged to review the calendar at the beginning of the year and arrange all travel to ensure continuity and maximum educational growth for their child. Our commitment to and concern for the progress of each student is the reason for this request.

Making up the time lost in school is not possible. Since learning takes place in the classroom with a community of learners each and every day, those activities are not able to be replicated during excessive or an extended absence. As a result, teachers are not required to accommodate requests for advanced work. A student’s grades may be negatively impacted due to both excessive and extended absences.

Late- Arriving Tardy It cannot be emphasized enough how important it is that students are in the classroom on time in order to avoid disrupting the class as well as affecting the rhythm of a child’s morning. A student will be marked as Late if he/she arrives after 8:00 am. Upon arrival, late students must go to the Elementary Office to receive a notice of entry. An Excused tardy includes such situations as a medical appointment, family emergency or extenuating circumstances as approved by the Principal and must be documented by a parent note, email or phone call. Reasons such as car trouble, personal business, heavy traffic, etc., while understandable, are not considered excused situations. For the benefit of the student, families should schedule dentist or doctor appointments after school hours. •

Students in grades 1-5 are allowed 6 Late arrivals per semester. After the 6th Late, parents will: o receive a letter from the Principal o receive a second letter from the Principal o be called in for a conference with the Principal to address the situation and formulate a plan for improvement o be notified that their child will lose eligibility from or their place in the After School Activity program for the year o be notified that their child will serve a principal’s detention o be notified that their child may attend Saturday school o be notified that their child will be suspended from school

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At the discretion of the administration, a student with more than 12 Late arrivals may result in the need to apply disciplinary consequences that may include those listed above as well as those determined by administration.

ATTENDENCE EXPECTATIONS Student Expectations •

If a student is granted an Excused absent, all missed work should be made up as arranged by the teacher(s).

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In the event of an approved Pre-arranged absence, a parent and student are expected to meet with teacher(s) prior to leaving and establish work to be completed.

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Following an absence, students are to bring appropriate documentation if it is to be noted as excused.

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Students arriving late to school are to first check in at the Elementary Office.

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Students leaving school early must be picked up by a parent from the Elementary Office.

Teacher Practices •

Teachers are expected to record attendance in their classes before 8:45 am daily. Teachers mark students as either Present, Absent (Excused or Unexcused), or Late.

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Following an Excused absence, teachers will provide students with necessary resources and materials needed to complete missed work. Teachers are, however, not expected to re-teach the material to individual students. In the event of Unexcused absences, teachers are not required to provide make-up work in advance or after the absence.

Administration Practices •

The Administration will establish and maintain a high profile for attendance and punctuality in order to make them a priority for all members of the community.

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The Administration will review attendance weekly and respond proactively to potential problems by contacting parents via telephone or in writing.

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The Administration will work with the child and his/her family to analyze the causes of the absences and determine the steps to eliminate the problem.

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The Administration may have to make one or more of the following decisions based on a child’s excessive absence: o remove from the After School Activity program for the year o require that the student attend after-school detention with a teacher or Principal for a period of time o inform the family that the student may be at risk for retention in the grade level (as determined by the homeroom teacher, guidance counselor and Principal) o inform the family that the student lose their placement at AISB

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The attendance policy will be presented to all students and families at the beginning of each year. Students and their parents will sign the attendance policy which will be filed with student records.

MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL A student is expected to attend school a minimum of 170 days through the year to receive course credit and be promoted. •

Students who miss more than 10 days of school over the year due to Excused Absences may receive credit for courses, as determined on an individual basis at the discretion of the Administration. o An absence will be marked as excused if it is due to illness or injury, a family emergency, or the observance of a religious event. o Appropriate documentation must be provided to the school in a timely manner.

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A student with more than 10 Unexcused Absences will not receive credit for the year. For semester courses, credit will be forfeited following 5 Unexcused Absences.

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A student with 20 or more absences for any reason will be considered for retention.

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Students off campus due to school related events will be marked as Present.

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Students who have missed more than 10 days (5 in a semester) for any reason are not eligible to travel for school events. Exceptions may be made upon appeal to the Secondary Administration.

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A student must be in school for at least 3 classes to be marked Present for the day.

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A student must be marked Present to participate in extracurricular activities that day.

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Students who are not in class on time, for first period or for classes throughout the day, will be marked as late. Students who have four (4) or more lates in a two week period will attend Saturday school from 8:30 – 12:00. If a student misses a session without reason of extenuating circumstances, then two sessions will be served. If a subsequent session is missed without extenuating circumstances then the student will be suspended from school for one day. o Excused Late will be recorded for illness, emergencies or other extenuating circumstances as documented.

Student Expectations •

If a student is absent, all missed work must be made up. Students are expected to establish a deadline for missed work. Work not completed within the new deadline will be evaluated at the lowest level of achievement.

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Before an anticipated absence students are expected to meet with teachers prior to leaving and establish work to be completed.

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Following an absence, students are to bring appropriate documentation if it is to be noted as excused.

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Students arriving late to school are to first check in at the office.

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Students leaving school early must have parental permission and check out with the office.

Teacher Practices •

Teachers are expected to take attendance in their classes.

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Following an absence, teachers will provide students with necessary resources and materials needed to complete missed work, as possible. Teachers are, however, not expected to re-teach the material to individual students.

Administration Practices •

The Administration will establish and maintain a high profile for attendance and punctuality in order to make them a priority for all members of the community.

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The Administration will review attendance every two weeks & respond proactively to potential problems.

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Following the third Unexcused Absence, the Administration will contact the student’s parents in writing.

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Following the fifth Unexcused Absence, the Administration will contact the student’s parents in writing and by telephone.

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Following the seventh Unexcused Absence, a meeting will be arranged with the Administration and the parents. The school will work with the child and his/her family to analyze the causes of the absences and determine the steps to eliminate the problem.

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If a student has 10 or more Unexcused Absences, the Administration will recommend that credit not be given for the course / for the year. A review by the Administration, the counsellor and the student’s teachers will be conducted and a final decision will be made by the Principal.

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If a student has 20 or more absences for any reason, the Administration will consider that student for retention. A review by the Administration, the counsellor and the student’s teachers will be conducted and a final decision will be made by the Principal.

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Students in High School will have an attendance report on their official school transcripts. Designations will be one of Meets Expectations (ME), Doesn’t Meet Expectations (DME) or Extenuating Circumstances (EC). If a student has more than 5 absences in one semester the designation will be made by the Principal in conjunction with the counsellor. If a student attends Saturday school 3 or more times in a Semester DME will be noted.

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This policy will be presented to all students and families at the beginning of each year. Students and their parents will sign the attendance policy and this will be filed with student records.