EXCUSED ABSENCES

All-Day Absences

Students can be excused from a full day of school for the following reasons:

1.  Illness (No medical notes is necessary unless a student gets to the "excessive absence" category.  Refer to "EXCESSIVE ABSENCES.")
2.  Family emergency
3.  Hospitalization
4.  Court Dates
5.  Observance of a religious holiday

Partial Day Absences

Medical/Doctor appointments should be scheduled outside of school hours. When this is not possible, the following steps must be taken in order to excuse the absence:

If you need to leave school to go to an appointment,

1.  Parents/guardians must call the Attendance Office before the student is to leave the building for the appointment.

2.  Students must report to the Deans' Office and sign out.

3.  Students must verify that they were at a medical appointment by providing documentation from the doctor's office when they sign back into the Deans' Office.

4.  If students return the following day, they need to bring appointment verification into the Deans' Office that morning.

If you arrive to school late due to a medical appointment,

1.  Students must report to the Deans' Office and sign in upon arriving to the building.

2.  Students must verify that they were at a medical appointment by providing documentation from the doctor's office when they sign in. 

3.  Parents/guardians must call the Attendance Office by 4:00 p.m. on the day the student arrives late in order to verify that they were aware of the absence and want it excused.

Multiple and Prolonged Absences

For prolonged absences due to illness or emergencies, special arrangements may be made with the Attendance Office so parents do not have to call in each day.  If a student is able to do homework, arrangements may be made through the Guidance Office to obtain assignments following the 3rd day of the absence.

Pre-Arranged Absences

Pre-arranged Absence forms may be obtained from the Deans' Office.  The form must be filled out properly and returned to the Deans' Office two (2) days before the absence in order for it to be excused.  We will not accept calls made to the Attendance Office.  If the form is not returned in/or on time, the absence will be marked unexcused with no make-up work accepted.  The form needs to be filled out for the following absences:

1.  College Visits
2.  Family Vacations (not recommended when school is in session)

Students need to give themselves enough time, approximately a week, to complete this process in order to ensure that the absence will be excused.  Students must:

1.  Pick up the Pre-arranged Absence form in the Deans' Office.
2.  Fill out the top of the form with details regarding the reason for the absence and the relevant dates.  Have the parent/legal guardian sign it.
3.  Bring the form back to school in order to speak to all teachers
     -Inform them of the absence
      -List on the form all homework that must be completed during that time
      -Have each teacher sign the form after the student lists the homework
4.  Turn the completed form into the Deans' Office two days before the absence.

Field Trips

Before the field trip, a signed parent permission form must be turned into the sponsoring teacher on the day that they specified in order for the absence to be excused.