Student Attendance

Parents and guardians are reminded that prompt and regular attendance at school is extremely important. At the same time, a child that is ill should not be in school, since this may result in further impairment of their health or the exposure of other children and staff to a communicable disease. We ask all parents to work in collaboration with us to make sure students are not ill while in attendance. We also encourage every effort to have children in school each day they are able to attend.  Please refer to the Parent-Student Handbook linked here for the complete SHSD 161 Student Attendance Policy Student Handbook.

 

When your child is absent from school, you are required to notify the school office to report your child’s absence before the start of the school day. Please leave a detailed message reporting your student’s absence on our school attendance line. Please also be sure to contact our school attendance line for every absence. Absences must be reported to the school office each day.

Failure to telephone in an absence each day that a child is out of school by one hour after the attendance bell (9:20 a.m. for Walker School) will result in a telephone call the same day. Calls will continue to be made to the parent/guardian and all emergency contacts until the student’s location can be verified. Failure to contact the school shall result in an unexcused absence and possible well-being check by local authorities.

It is considered “best practice” to provide the school with a note from your health care provider for illnesses with absences over three days.

Regarding tardiness to school, after the ninth instance of tardiness, a note may be required, or some suitable school-based intervention or disciplinary action may be taken.

 

Assignments missed due to absence will be given one day per absence plus one additional day. Requests for homework should be given to the school office before 11:00 a.m. and picked up at the school at the end of the school day (no later than 3:55 p.m.).

Vacations are considered unexcused absences. Assignments missed due to vacation will be given one day per day of absence plus one day. Homework will be provided to the student upon return from vacation.