Absent Notes:
Absent notes should be submitted to the student's homeroom teacher, or may be emailed to the homeroom teacher and Mrs. Boch, the attendance assistant. Mrs. Boch's email is [email protected].
Attendance Regulations:
It is important that all students be in regular attendance because academic progress suffers as a result of absence. Absence is the most prevalent cause for failure or poor grades. Absences for reasons other than illness, with or without parental approval, are subject to the mandatory attendance laws and are regarded as truancy. The School Laws of Pennsylvania classify all absences as unexcused or illegal, except for the following reasons:
- Illness of pupil
- Death in the immediate family
- Quarantine
- Required Court Attendance
- Recovery from Accident
- Family Educational Trips
Students who have been absent from school are required to present an excuse note or email within (2) days of their return to school. This note or email must be given to their homeroom teacher. All notes or emails should have the following information:
- Date the note was written
- Student’s name, grade, and section.
- Date(s) student was absent
- Reason for absence
- Parent’s / Guardian’s signature (name spelled out clearly).
A parent phone call to the school for a reported absence does not take the place of the written explanation for the absence. If the absence is illegal or unexcused the student will not be permitted to receive credit for the work missed.
Failure to submit a note will result in the absence being declared illegal / unexcused and the student is subject to the same penalty as truancy. A truancy is any and all unexcused absences from school. Along similar lines, an unexcused absence from a specific class (i.e. cut) is also considered a truancy and the time missed will be added time to a student’s total time truant.
Three (3) unexcused full day absences will result in a First Notice of Unexcused or Illegal Absence form sent to the parent / guardian of the student. This is a notification of the possible legal procedures that the school can take. Each additional unexcused full day absence will result in a Request for Summons form sent to the parent / guardian. This step involves a hearing and possible fine before a magistrate. A habitually truant student and their parent/guardian will be required to participate in a Truancy Elimination Plan (TEP). The above procedures are in accordance with Pennsylvania Public School Code of 1963, Section 1327 and 1333.
When a student is absent for three (3) or more consecutive school days, a doctor’s certificate is required when he / she returns to school. After 10 accumulated days of absence (excused or unexcused), a doctor’s note will be required upon returning to school for each day missed during the remainder of the school year. No absence for reasons other than a student’s illness, death in the immediate family, or urgent reasons, as defined under Laws Controlling School Attendance, can be excused unless the principal has approved a request in advance.
When a student will miss ten consecutive days of school as a result of a pre-planned absence, the student must be officially withdrawn from school and must re-register upon return.
Students absent 0 to 4 days will be granted 1 day to make up work for each individual day absent. (This does not include the day they return to school). However, in the case of absences of 5 days to two weeks in duration, the student shall be granted 2 days to make up work for every day absent. In the case of absences, which exceed two weeks, the student, the parent, the teacher and the principal shall agree on a reasonable length of time to complete the work.