Guidelines for Student Attendance
See also: Absence Make-up Policy
The attendance policy is designed to promote student attendance and to be administered uniformly. Regular attendance cannot be over-emphasized. It is necessary for maximum school achievement, development of positive work habits, and development of responsibility needed for the transition from school to the world of work.
Punctuality and dependability are valued habits in our society. Employers are seeking employees who are punctual and self-disciplined. Therefore, students need to be accountable for their "job" of attending school every day and arriving at class on time. The staff at AHS believes that students will experience the most success when they attend school regularly to interact with other students and to receive direct instruction from teachers.
An absence is defined as missing more than ten minutes of a class or as having multiples of three tardies (3, 6, 9, etc.) to a class. Absences are assessed by individual classes and not by school day. The principal has discretion to deny credit to a student who misses five or more classes.
Attendance is counted by semesters. ALL absences, except school related absences, will count the same. The following are accepted as school-related absences. They do not count towards the attendance policy or exam exemptions:
1) School-related field trips, sport activities, and absences approved by the principal;
2) Guidance/Administrative/Group Meetings;
3) Late bus;
4) Homebound instruction;
5) Prearranged college visits for juniors and seniors only;
6) Prearranged job interviews for seniors; and
7) Participation in regional, state, and/or national competition of a non-school organization that fosters development of the student's physical, academic, performing, or exhibition of arts/talents which is the culmination of a years participation and which would reflect favorably on the school and community.
Requests for extended absence should be submitted in writing from a parent/guardian at least three days in advance of the absence. Forms can be obtained in the Attendance Office. Dates to be missed and the nature of the absence should be included in the request. Requests should be signed by teachers of all classes that will be missed and turned in to the Attendance Office. Students are expected to make up all missed work.
Requests for second semester juniors and seniors for college visits and for job interviews for seniors should be submitted in writing from a parent/guardian three days in advance of the absence. Three full day absences per semester will be allowed. Dates to be missed and the nature of the absence should be included.
Requests should be signed by teachers of all classes that will be missed and turned in to the Attendance Office. When the student returns to school, verification from the college of the visit or from the employer of the interview must be turned in to the Attendance Office for this to be considered a school related absence. Students are expected to make up all missed work. These absences do not count under the attendance policy if the outlined procedure is followed.
Students are expected to be in class, to be on time to class, to keep track of their attendance for appeal and exam purposes, and to check-in if arriving after the start of their first class, (including Study Hall) and to check-out if leaving before the end of their last class (including Study Hall). Students are responsible to contact teachers for work missed when they are absent or suspended
and to do the work.
Parents should send notes to the Attendance Office and should keep track of reasons for late arrivals, early dismissals, and all day absences in case an appeal has to be filed. This includes absences for doctors' appointments, court appearances, and funerals.
Students who arrive at school at 9:10 or later must sign in at the Attendance Office. Attempts will be made to contact parents/guardians to verify the late arrivals. Notes regarding late arrivals should be turned in to the Attendance Office and will be kept on file.
Once students arrive on school grounds, they must sign out at the Attendance Office before leaving during the instructional day. Notes with a phone number where a parent/guardian can be reached regarding early dismissals must be turned in to the Attendance Office by 8:50am. Attempts will be made to contact the parent/guardian to verbally verify the early dismissal. For early dismissals that have been verified by a parent/guardian contact, the parent/guardian does not need to sign out the student. A pink "Early Dismissal Pass" will be sent to the student who must sign out at the Attendance Office. For early dismissals that are not verified by a parent/ guardian contact, the parent/guardian must come to the Attendance Office to sign out the student. The Attendance Office will then send for the student.
Parents may give permission for their 18 year old sons and daughters to sign themselves in and out. To do this, please fill out the proper form at the Attendance Office stating that you give permission for your 18 year old son or daughter to sign himself or herself in or out. Include a phone number so that you can be contacted one time to verify the note.
After the first grading period, parents may give permission for their sons or daughters to sign themselves in and out of Study Hall. Ninth graders may not have this privilege. To do this, a parent must come in to the Attendance Office and fill out a form at the Attendance Office. These forms will not be sent home or taken out of the Attendance Office. If a parent wants to sign a ninth grader out during study hall, he/she must come in to the Attendance Office to do so. This same procedure must be followed if a student is taking a class that ends before the Albemarle High School semester ends.
Reasonable attempts will be made to contact parents/guardians about absences. Phone calls will be made from the Attendance Office. Letters will be sent after the third and fifth absences from a class. Students with five absences will have to file an attendance appeal. Parents should contact the Attendance Coordinator to initiate the appeal process.
The Attendance Coordinator will talk with students who do not sign in or out and will contact the parents/guardians. After the first infraction of failing to sign in or out, disciplinary consequences will be result.
If it is determined that a student has been skipping or if a student fails to sign in or out after having been warned to do so, a parent/guardian will be contacted and detention will be assigned.
Teachers will talk to students about tardies. Teachers will keep a log of these conversations. Tardies after lunch on multiple lunch days will be handled the same way as tardies at the beginning of class, except that no absence will be assigned.
Consequences for tardies will be as follows:
1) Lunch detention will be assigned when a student has two tardies to a class;
2) An absence will be assessed when a student has three tardies to a class;
3) After School Detention will be assigned when a student has five tardies to a class;
4) An absence will be assessed when a student has six tardies to a class;
5) Saturday School will be assigned when a student has eight tardies to a class;
6) An absence will be assessed when a student has nine tardies to a class;
7) A referral will be made to the Home School Coordinator when a student as ten tardies to a class;
8) Overnight Suspension, which means that a parent will have to return to school with the student for a readmit conference with the Attendance Coordinator, will be assigned when a student has eleven tardies to a class;
9) An absence will be assessed when a student has twelve tardies to a class;
10) Out of School Suspension pending a hearing with the Superintendent's representative will result when a student has thirteen tardies to a class; and
11) Absences will be assessed for other multiples of three tardies (15, 18, 21, etc.).
