School Attendance Policy
A student of Untalan Middle School must:
1) Attend all classes except when there is valid reason for not doing so.
2) Arrive to all classes and homebase before the tardy bell rings and stay until dismissed by the teacher.
3) Present a note to the home base teacher explaining absence(s) from school. The note must be written by the parent/guardian, a doctor, or a school administrator. Absence(s) for three or more consecutive days because of illness requires a doctor’s certification.
a. Failure to bring an excuse note (within 2 school days) for an absence will be documented as an unexcused absence and may be used for court referral.
b. Obtain an admit slip from the homebase teacher and show it to your teachers. If you were absent in some periods because your parent(s) or guardian(s) took you off the school campus for cause (e.g. dental, doctors, court, etc.), then show your off campus pass to your homebase teacher. He/She will issue you an admit slip for periods missing.
4) Be signed out by parent(s)/guardian(s) in the main office before leaving the school campus during school hours. Keep your copy and give to your homebase teacher upon return in order to get an admit slip to excuse your absence(s) for the periods that you missed when you were taken off the school campus.
5) Always obtain a corridor pass from your teacher before leaving class. (Misuse of a corridor pass is a violation of school rules.)
6) Submit the corridor pass to the teacher when you return to class.
7) Obtain an admit slip from the administration upon your return from suspension.
8) Notify teacher(s) and the PPO of future absences: for example, hospitalization. (See Pre-Arranged Absences Procedure)
9) Provide a doctor’s certification for every absence after accumulating excused absences as deemed necessary by administration and teachers due to a pattern of absences.
ABSENCES
Attendance is the cornerstone to academic success. The following definitions and standards apply to the administration and enforcement of attendance requirements for the school.
1) Absence from class:
A student is absent when he/she is not present with his/her class and is not actively involved in an approved school-related activity.
2) Absence from school:
A student is absent for a school day when he/she is not present in school-approved activities for more than one-half of his/her regularly scheduled contact hours. Contact hours are instructional time and supervised school activity during a class period. (See pre-arranged absence procedures.)
EXCUSED ABSENCE
An absence is EXCUSED when it is due to:
&Mac183; Illness of student. Note: Any student who is absent for three or more consecutive days due to illness must present a written certificate from an attending physician to be excused.
&Mac183; Death of an immediate member of the family. Board policy defines “Immediate member of the family” to include mother, father, guardian, sister, or brother. Stepparents are also considered immediate family. Absence for up to three school days requires prior written approval from school administration. (See pre-arranged absences.)
&Mac183; Medical and Dental visits.
&Mac183; Required court appearances for court cases.
Lack of available bus transportation for students who depend on government bussing to get to school.
&Mac183; Off island absences which have prior approval. (see “pre-arranged absence”)
UNEXCUSED ABSENCE
The following are NOT acceptable excuses for an absence:
1. Babysitting or care of friend or relative’s home.
2. Housekeeping or housework.
3. Lack of transportation (car riders); missed bus
4. Party, fiesta, or rosary preparations.
Within these parameters, determination of acceptable excuses for absences is upon the discretion of the school administrators. Parents dissatisfied with a determination might follow grievance procedures.
DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS
When a student accumulates three (3) unexcused absences he/she falls under the compulsory attendance law and the teacher will direct the matter to the Administration office for disciplinary action. Consequences for unexcused absences include mandatory parent conferences, work detail, referral to counselor, attendance monitor, and/or referral to the Truant Officer. Students who accumulate 12 or more unexcused absences any time during the School Year will be referred to Family Court by the Attendance Officer for habitual truancy referral. (Section 6402. Habitual Truant – GCA)
Hierarchy when referring a student for unexcused absences
A) 2 unexcused absences - Phone call to parent inform parent that student will be referred to Assistant Principal on the next unexcused absence.
B) 3 unexcused absence - Referral to Assistant Principal of Attendance. Teacher must submit attendance referral.
C) 6 unexcused absence - Referral to Assistant Principal of Attendance. Teacher must submit attendance referral.
D) 9 unexcused absence - Referral to Assistant Principal of Attendance. Teacher must submit attendance referral.
E) 12 unexcused absence - Referral to Assistant Principal of Attendance. Teacher must submit attendance referral – Truant Officer will refer to juvenile court.
Admit slips
Every student who is absent must obtain an admit slip from his/her homebase teacher upon returning to school. It is the student’s responsibility to submit a valid parent note to excuse the absence and have each teacher sign the admit slip. The last period teacher collects the admit slips and forwards to the PPO office.
