DCIS School Policies
2015-16 School Year
Attendance Policy General Statement
Regular attendance is the responsibility of students and parents. We expect
students to be in school every day and to keep absences to a minimum. Good
attendance will ensure that students are able to get the most of their education. A
consistent record of good attendance is directly tied to increased student
achievement. The Denver Public Schools defines good attendance as a
minimum of 95%. The Denver Center for International Studies strives for more
than the minimum and therefore has set the goal of 97% attendance for all
students. This ties directly to our Core Value of High Expectations.
Students are required to attend classes in accordance with Colorado Attendance
Law, 22-33-104, and Article IX, Section 2 of the Colorado constitution. The DPS
Board Policy JE-Student Attendance directs schools to develop their own specific
guidelines and policies around student attendance.
Excused Absences
An excused absence is an absence with the permission of the parent/guardian
and the school principal. Such absences should comply with state law. For the
purpose of excused absences, DCIS will recognize the following reasons:
· Documented illness or injury –absence must be reported to the school within
24 hours unless otherwise approved by an administrator
· Documented medical or legal appointments-documentation must be submitted
within 24 hours (Note: We encourage all appointments to be made after school.)
· Religious holiday
· Death in the family
· College/university visits—limited to 2 days per year for juniors and 4 days per
year for seniors. Students must use approved college visit form.
· School based activity or competition
· Approved international travel experience, not to exceed 5 days per student
per year (Note: Parent/guardian scheduled family vacations are not excused
absences, unless they also qualify as an approved international travel experience
that does not exceed 5 days per school year)
Unexcused Absences
An unexcused absence is an absence with the permission of the parent/guardian
but without the permission of the principal. Unexcused absences are all other
absences that include, but are not limited to the following:
· Car trouble
· Missing the bus
· Sleeping late
· Staying home to study
· Staying home to care for family members
· Traffic problems
· Family vacations
- Weather
Extended Absences
When a student is absent for more than 3 days in a row (4 or more days) we
request that the parent provide medical documentation to ensure that the student
is not contagious and is safe to return to school. Keeping all of our students
healthy and honoring the public health interests of our entire community is very
important to us. A medical clinic, free for all DPS students is available at West
High School, 951 Elati Street, or families may choose to see their own health
care provider.
Procedure to follow when students must be absent
A parent or guardian must call the Student Attendance Phone Line each and
every day that a student is absent. Absences must be excused within 24 hours of
the absence. To report a student absence,a parent or guardian must call the
Attendance Phone Line at 720-423-9101 or email the Attendance Inbox at
attendanceline_dcis@dpsk12.org. This number is available 24 hours a day. You
will be required to leave the student’s full name, grade level, date, parent name,
daytime phone number for parent, the days/periods to be excused and the
reason for the absence. An office secretary will record the absence in Infinite
Campus. Upon returning to school, the student will need to go to the Main Office
to get a pass to enter class.
Make-up work when absent
It is the student’s responsibility to check in with teachers regarding missed work
when absent. For each class period of excused absence, students will be
permitted two additional class periods upon their return to complete and submit
course work, unless prior arrangements were made with the teacher. Students
who are attending a school activity must make arrangements with teachers to
turn in work before their absence. Teachers may decide to give equivalent work,
not necessarily the identical assignments given to students who were present.
Teachers may use their discretion to allow make up work for unexcused
absences, provided that the student submits a written rationale for why the work
should be accepted. Work accepted after unexcused absences may be subject to
point penalties.
Partial Day Absences
If a student needs to leave school early, a parent/guardian or other emergency
contact whose name is listed as someone who has permission to pick up the
student must come to the main office in person and present a valid picture ID
before the student will be allowed to leave the building. Upon the presentation of
the valid picture ID, DCIS staff will call the student out of class. DCIS staff will not
be able to call students out of class prior to the parent/guardian arrival with proof
of ID. If the student is over 16 years old and will be driving to the appointment, a
parent/guardian must call or email the school attendance line 24 hours prior to
the partial absence and the student must check in /check out with the Main
Office. If a student arrives late to the first class of the day, the parent must call
the Attendance Line within 24 hours to excuse the absence and the student must
report to the Main Office to receive a pass to enter class late. Students who are
habitually late will be required to have a conference with the Social Worker and a
parent/guardian.
DCIS Tardy Policy
All students are expected to be in class on time. Being on time shows respect for
learning, respect for the teacher, and respect for our wonderful school. We
expect all students to honor our core value of Integrity by making sure they are
on time for every class, every day. We believe that students understand and
respect the importance of being on time to each class. However, should
tardiness become a problem, teachers will contact parents and/or involve an
administrator for additional consequences.
Cell Phone Policy
Cell phones should be kept on silent and inside a backpack during class time
unless the teacher has directed students to use their phones for instructional
purposes. Students will be allowed to use their phones during passing periods,
before and after school and at lunch. Students should not use their cell phone for
any reason—even to check the time—during class unless otherwise directed by
a teacher. Students who chose to use their phones in class without permission
will be issued a warning to put the phone away for the first offense. If there is a
second offense, the student must give the phone to the teacher for the remainder
of the class period, and will receive their phone back from the teacher at the end
of class. If there is a third time (which shouldn’t happen!) then the teacher will
confiscate the phone and turn it in to the Main Office and the student will get a
referral. The student will be able to pick up the phone at the end of the school
day, or at the beginning of the next school day, depending on staff availability in
the Main Office. If a student’s phone is turned in to the Main Office more than
once, then the student will get a referral and the phone will be released only to
the student’s parent/guardian and not to the student. (Again, this shouldn’t
happen!)
Dress Code Policy
DCIS believes in High Expectations for all students, and seeks to set a scholarly
tone in our school. The dress code policy for our school asks that all students
rely on our core value of Integrity, and dress accordingly as professional
students. How one dresses is situational. What is appropriate for one situation,
may not be appropriate for another. For example, the way one dresses for the
beach is not the same as the way one dresses for a party, which is not the same
way as one dresses for a scholarly environment. We do not seek to judge
anyone for their fashion choices. Rather, we ask that all students keep in mind
that school is a place of education, and we ask that students use their integrity to
dress appropriately for an educational setting.
In addition, there are a couple of specific things that need to be avoided at
school.
 Hoodies or hats of any kind that cover the head in such a way that
students are unrecognizable on camera, e.g. baseball caps with the front
facing forward, are not allowed. (Other hats that do not hide a student’s
identity are permitted, e.g. baseball caps worn backwards, berets, etc. are
all fine)
 Clothing that contains images of drugs or alcohol is not allowed.
 Clothing that contains sexually explicit images or language is not allowed.
 Clothing that contains offensive language or images, such as profanity or
racial slurs, is not allowed.
Policy for Posting Grades in Infinite Campus
Teachers are required to update Infinite Campus with at least one new grade per
student, every two weeks. Teachers are required to enter at least 2 summative
assessment (product) grades and 6 formative assessment (process) grades per
nine week grading period. Teachers will be allowed up to two weeks from the
date an assignment is turned in to post the grade for that assignment, and up to
three weeks will be allowed for extended writing assignments