ATTENDANCE
All students are expected to attend all assigned classes every day. Continued
unexcused absences, tardies, and/or skipping classes will result in disciplinary
procedures. All absences will be marked unexcused unless the parent/guardian
provides a note with an acceptable reason for the absence within a 24-hour
period. Likewise, tardiness to school will be considered unexcused unless an
acceptable note is provided by the parent/guardian. Students and parents will
be expected to follow attendance and early dismissal procedures without
exception during the entire school year. Students must come to class prepared
with supplies and an alert mental attitude.
1. Early Dismissals
Students who plan to leave school before the end of the school day must bring a note from their
parent/guardian with the reason and time
for the early dismissal stated in the note. The note should be given to
the attendance secretary in the Main Office. Students will remain in
their classroom until a parent/guardian comes into the office to sign
them out. At that time, the student will be called from class to report
to the Main Office to meet the parent. The parent/guardian’s picture
ID will be required before a student will be released. NO student is
allowed to check himself/herself out of school, and NO student will
be called to the office until a parent/guardian comes in and shows
photo identification. The school must be notified in writing if a
parent designee will be picking up a student. This note must include
the NAME of the person picking up the student. (NOT "Aunt,”
"Uncle," "Friend,” etc.) In addition, the individual must be listed on
the Authorization to Pick-Up Form, which is supplied to each student
at the beginning of the year.
2. Excused Absences
A note will be required from the parent or guardian when a student is
absent. In cases where students miss more than ten school days
because of illness, the principal will require a written statement by a
physician.
Students are expected to be in school daily. Acceptable excuses for
temporary absence from school may include the following:
1. Illness of student
2. Serious illness of a family member, which necessitates absence of
the student
3. Death in immediate family
4. Special and recognized religious holidays regularly observed by
followers of a particular faith
5. Other reasons approved by the principal in advance of the absence.
Please keep in mind the holidays built into the school system’s
calendar when making vacation arrangements.
3. Late Arrivals/Tardies to School
Students are expected to arrive at school no earlier than 8:05 AM.
No parent/guardian is to drop their child off before 8:05 AM;
supervision will not be available until that time. First block begins
promptly at 8:35 AM. Students who arrive to school after 8:35 AM
must sign in at the Main Office. Students who are repeatedly late to
school will be referred to the assistant principal for consultation
and/or disciplinary action.
When a student acquires five unexcused tardies to school, a letter will
be sent home to make the parent aware of the situation. Should the
student reach seven or more tardies, the student will be assigned to
the Alternative Learning Center (ALC) for each additional day.
When the student accumulates 10 unexcused tardies, a referral will be
made to the school counselor.
4. Notification
When a student is absent, a parent/guardian must telephone the
school at 804-328-4023 and inform Mrs. Owens, the attendance
secretary, of the absence. This should be done before 9:00 AM on
the day of the absence. A note must be provided upon the
student’s return to school. It is the parent’s responsibility to contact
the attendance secretary with the reason(s) for the student’s absence.
5. Tardies to Class
If students are late to any class, they need a pass to have the tardy
excused. If a student feels ill or needs to see a counselor, then he/she
is to proceed to the next class and ask THAT teacher for a pass.
Students who abuse pass privileges by going to a destination other
than the one on the pass, or who habitually ask to leave class, will be
placed on sidewalk restriction. If a student is tardy to class without a
note or valid excuse, the tardy will be UNEXCUSED. The student
will be admitted to class. Our tardy policy allows for the following
consequences:
3 Unexcused tardies to any particular class/homeroom during a
semester will result in a Teacher Detention
4 Unexcused tardies will result in a referral to an Administrator/ALC
5 or more Unexcused tardies will result in OSS
NOTE – The administrative team conducts TARDY SWEEPS
periodically. During a tardy sweep, students on the sidewalks after
the sounding of the bell will be issued a detention on the first offense.
6. Truancy
Truancy is a violation of the Compulsory Attendance Law. When a
student is absent for a reason, which is not justifiable, the student is
considered truant. Thus, parents will be notified and disciplinary
action may result in the following:
• Alternative education placement
• Meeting with assistant principal, school counselor, school
social worker, parents and student
• A referral to the Henrico County Juvenile and Domestic
Relations Court for violation of the Virginia Compulsory
Attendance Law.
MAKE UP WORK
When a student’s absence is excused, he/she will be allowed to make up missed
work. It is the student’s responsibility to consult with teachers to obtain missed
work. If a student is absent for an extended period of time (3 days or more),
parents should contact the School Counseling Office at 328-4024 to request
that assignments be collected. PLEASE ALLOW 24 HOURS FOR
TEACHERS TO GET MAKEUP WORK READY FOR PICKUP.
Assignments may be retrieved from the school counseling office up until 4:00
PM during school days. The student has the number of days he/she missed,
plus one day, to make up missed assignments. The teacher is not required to constantly remind
students to turn in work, and is not required to accept it after
the specified length of time. Depending upon the complexity of the assignment
and the time missed, the teacher may extend the three-day deadline. Students
are expected to take announced tests or quizzes given during an absence on the
day they return to school. Note that pre-assigned papers, projects, and other
such assignments are not classified as make up work.