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Attendance & Punctuality 307
Attendance & Punctuality
Regular attendance and punctuality contribute to student success and achievement.  Attendance and punctuality are related to developing character traits such as respect, initiative, responsibility and integrity, and are linked to learning skills such as work habits and initiative.  Students demonstrate commitment, respect, initiative and responsibility when they are in class and on time, all the time.  The less class time students miss, the more likely they will succeed academically. 
 
If students choose to attend irregularly, they may not achieve a credit, defined by the Education Act as 110 hours of class time. 
 
To earn a credit, a student is expected to accumulate the total 110 hours of instruction for each course and a mark of at least 50%.
 
Students are expected to be on time for every class.  Punctuality shows respect and consideration for others.  Being late for class inconveniences and disrupts your classmates and teachers. 
 
  • ​If students are late to class, they should proceed directly to class.   Their teacher will notify the attendance office, and the absence will be changed to late.
  • If a student has to leave during the day, he/she needs to have a written note AND sign out through the main office.
  • If students are consistently late, teachers will contact home.  Referrals to the administration may follow.
  • Students are expected to attend classes when a supply teacher is present.
  • Students, parents, and staff have a role to play in ensuring that students attend classes regularly and punctually.   Each role is described below. 
  • attending all scheduled classes on time – students should be in their seats when the bell rings;
  • being prepared for classes (e.g. resources, completed work) and participating fully in the planned learning activities;
  • reporting absences (when possible in advance) and presenting proper documentation to staff; and
  • covering the material missed because of absences.
 
  • ensuring that their child arrives at school on time (aim for 8:30) and is ready for classes;
  • making every effort to ensure that their child is present for classes - including arranging appointments outside of the school day, whenever possible;
  • actively monitoring their child’s progress – including their attendance, achievement; and
  • communicating with the school when their child will be late or absent, preferably via telephone at the beginning of that day.
 
  • receiving and processing attendance-related reports;
  • monitoring students’ lates and absences in conjunction with the school;    
  • recording parent contact in relation to absences, lates and signing-out;
  • providing Admit Slips to students who are signing-in; and
  • following up with students with invalid absences prior to administering admit slips.
 
  • reviewing attendance and punctuality policy with students;
  • recording, monitoring and reporting students’ attendance to the office; 
  • keeping accurate attendance records;
  • requesting Admit Slips from students who have unexplained absences
  • following up where there are attendance issues (e.g. parental contact, detentions, office referral, etc.);
  • implementing strategies to assist students in improving their attendance, e.g., counseling students, communicating with students and parents, making referrals to administrators for further actions – attendance counseling, etc.; and
  • implementing consequences to assist students in improving their attendance, e.g. detention, withdrawal from extra-curricular activities, recommendations to administrator for further action.
 
Absences
Under the Education Act, students are expected to be at school every day, unless they are unable to attend by reason of sickness, unavoidable cause (illness, bereavement, court appearance, etc), holy day or other authorized by the administration of the school.  Absences are to be both validated and authorized.  All absences require authorization by a parent/guardian.
Truancies are invalid absences during instructional time and are strictly unacceptable.  These will be monitored and dealt with accordingly by both teachers and administration.
The school will contact the homes of students with unexplained absences on a daily basis.  If a message is received, parents should contact the Attendance Office before 8:30 am the next school day. 
If any test or assignment is missed because of an invalid absence, the student may forfeit the right to make it up.
 
When a student misses a full day of classes, a phone call from the parent/guardian to the school validating the absence is required.  A secretary will note this on the student’s attendance record.  If a parent does not contact the school, the student is required to bring in a parental note with a valid reason for the absence to the Main Office upon returning to school.  The student is to obtain an Admit Slip and show it to each teacher prior to returning to each missed class.
 
The Attendance Office can be reached at 905-884-0554, ext 412.  If the Secretary is busy, please leave a voice-message or e-mail alexandermackenziehs.attendance@yrdsb.ca
at any time as these modes of communication are accessible 24 hrs/day, 7 days/week 
If no phone call, e-mail, or note is received, the absence will be considered invalid and the student “truant”.
 
Students who arrive after 8:55 a.m. must sign in at the attendance desk.  Students who need to leave school before 2:55 p.m. for any reason (doctor’s appointment, etc.) must sign out at the attendance office.  A note should be presented for all pre-arranged absences.
Notes for all students must provide the following information:
  • Current date
  • Date(s) absent
  • Reason for absence
  • Current Daytime Phone number
  • Parent/Guardian signature or signature of student who is 18 years or older
If a student is unable to attend school and will miss more than two school days, homework may be requested from teachers through the Main Office.  Teachers require 24 hours to complete homework requests.  If a student is absent due to a prolonged illness, a medical note is required. 
 
Students who have been signed out of classes by a parent or guardian cannot remain on school property.
 
When a student misses part of the school day, a parent/guardian is required to phone with a valid reason or provide the student with a note of explanation upon their return to school.
If students arrive late, they are required to go to the Main Office to sign in and get an Admit Slip.  The Admit Slip should be shown to the teacher(s) of the missed class(es). Students who sign in late for a class must attend the class that day, regardless of the amount of class-time remaining.
 
If students need to leave during the school day, they are required to sign out in the Main Office with a note from a parent/guardian.  Should a note not be presented, a telephone call will be made to obtain verbal consent to sign the student out of school.  Without parental/guardian consent the student will be required to remain in school.
 
Students who are 18 years of age or older are expected to follow the attendance procedures as outlined.  Furthermore they will have five sign out privileges per semester. Administrator approval must be obtained for additional sign-outs.
 
In general, the consequences of truancy are significant in both the short and long term.  Truancy is often symptomatic of students in need of additional supports.   School consequences may be assigned as a result of the following:
  • Failure to attend classes on time;
  • Failure to validate any absence; and
  • Failure to follow the process for validating absences.
When the student is truant or fails to follow process to validate an absence, a detention (at lunch or after school) is usually assigned.  If the student continues to be truant, a series of escalated consequences will be assigned which may include:
  • loss of privileges
  • written reflections
  • withdrawal from extracurricular activities
  • referral to school Attendance Counselor 
  • meeting with parents
  • detention and/or suspension
  • removal from course and/or school

 

Vacation
We recommend that parents not withdraw their son or daughter from school except in unavoidable circumstances. Students are to fill out an Extended Absence Form at least one week prior to the leave which can be picked up in the Main Office.  Students are required to make prior arrangements with their teachers, to complete tests and assignments.  Students are responsible for all missed work. Students are to see a Vice-Principal for final approval.
 
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