Attendance Guidelines
NORTH'S ATTENDANCE GUIDELINES
Your success at North will depend heavily upon regular school attendance. Students, parents, and the school all have responsibilities in this area.
Student Responsibilities
• Students are expected to be in school each day and be on time for each block.
• Students must remain on campus the entire day. This includes lunch periods and Academic Lab. Students are not to go to the parking lots or leave campus at any time.
• Students arriving late must report to the Attendance Office in the commons to sign in. Students arriving on a late bus are to report there for a late bus pass.
• Students needing to leave campus during the day must obtain a dismissal slip prior to leaving campus. Obtaining the pass requires a phone call from a parent to the grade level secretary stating the reason for the early dismissal. The grade level secretary will then get the pass to the student. The dismissal slip must be presented to the teacher when the student leaves the class and when he/she returns. The student must give the pass to the Attendance Secretary (located in the commons) and she will write a dismissal slip to leave campus.
• Students are expected to request make-up work within 48 hours of their absence. Make-up work is a student’s responsibility and to be initiated by the student. Students are to follow the individual teacher’s guidelines on length of time to turn in their make-up work.
• Excessive absences will, naturally, adversely affect a student’s academic achievement. This could lead to a failing grade and loss of credit for the course. Absences due to extended illness will be excused when a doctor’s statement is received by the school.
Parental Responsibilities
• Absences are excused only when a parent or guardian calls the attendance office (415-7626) within 24 hours of the child’s absence. These calls are answered by the Grade Level Secretary or the Attendance Office. Voice Mail is available 24 hours a day for parents to leave such messages.
By board policy, the following are considered excused absences:
• Illness of the student
• Death in the student's immediate family
• Certain days for religious observance
• Medical or dental appointments
• Court appearance
• Quarantine or hospital confinement
•Planned absence with prior approval
• Field trips or other school initiated absences
• Emergency or set of circumstances that, in the judgment of the principal, constitutes a reasonable cause of absence from school. (Oversleeping, car trouble, missing the bus, running parental errands, and babysitting are NOT excused absences.)
• If parents do not call the Attendance Line (415-7626) prior to 9:30 a.m., we will make attempts to contact them at home or work to verify a student’s absence.
• If a student is on a school trip (either for the day or for several days), parents do not need to report their absence, as their teacher will have reported them being on the trip.
• Parents must call the Attendance Line when their child will arrive after the start of the day due to an appointment or emergency or must leave early for these reasons.
• North recognizes that students may miss school due to planned absences resulting from unusual circumstances. Parents are asked to have their child complete a “Request for Planned Absence” form for anticipated absences exceeding a full day. Plans can then be made by the teacher, student and parents to determine the impact of that absence on the class grade. Examples of a planned absence include: family vacation (outside of the regular school vacation periods), college visitations and personal business that can not be handled outside of regular school hours. Students are to obtain a “Request for Planned Absence” form from their grade level office or the Attendance Office at least seven (7) days prior to the absence. This form is to be completed by parents and teachers and returned to the Attendance Office at least five (5) days before the days of absence.
• Parents may request assignments from the teachers if their child will be out for an extended time due to illness/hospitalization. Expect to pick up work no sooner than the following day.
• Parents are encouraged to confer with school personnel whenever they become aware of or suspect an attendance problem with their child. Contact the child’s teacher, counselor, or grade level administrator for assistance.