Black River Elementary Attendance Policy
INTRODUCTION:
Hedy Nai-Lin Chang’s research shows that regular attendance is critical in the development and learning of all students. We now realize it is not only those students who fit the traditional definition of truancy, but those who are chronically absent as well who have lower grades and are more likely to drop out than students with better attendance. Truancy, or unexcused absences, has been linked to serious delinquent activity in youth and to significant negative behavior in characteristics in adults (Bell, A.J., Rosen, L.A., and Dynlacht, D. 1994). Left unaddressed, truancy can have significant negative effects on the student, school, and community.
ATTENDANCE PHILOSOPHY:
Regular attendance is the single most important factor affecting student achievement. Results of study after study demonstrate that students who attend school regularly do better than those who are frequently absent. Good attendance increases student achievement. Poor or irregular attendance diminishes learning and lowers student achievement. Time missed from class cannot truly be compensated for in any adequate way. A stimulating, thoughtful classroom discussion or analysis cannot be made up: the absent student misses the opportunity for give and take, for questioning and being questioned. Classroom learning is a communal endeavor: teachers and students learn by being able to share ideas in an open forum. Absent students miss the learning that comes from participation in the group process.
Black River’s goals for student learning emphasize the importance of communication skills, social responsibility, and respect for the ideas of others. Students cannot achieve these goals if they are not in class. Class time missed is learning lost. There is no substitute for attending class and parents are urged to stress the importance of regular attendance and punctuality.
In an effort to better service the schools of the OAISD, visit the link below for common language and coding that is recommended for each school to use in regards to attendance.
http://www.blackriverpublicschool.org/userfiles/36/my%20files/brps-oaisdattendancepolicy2018.pdf?id=2504
EXCUSED ABSENCES
1. According to Black River Public School Policy, students have a limit of five absences per semester. Those allow for sporadic illness, family emergency, medical treatment, court, and family business, etc. Teachers will allow students to make up work upon their return in the above instances. Please see the breakdown of the schedule below:
2. Should a student exceed the 5-day limit for the semester, this may greatly affect that student’s academic success since work missed due to excessive absence from school or class may not be made up without penalty.
a. Any absence that a student incurs as an approved representative of Black River does not count towards the 5-day absence limit.
b. Absences from class because of approved in-school activities and meetings with counselors or other school personnel do not count toward the absence limit.
c. Absences beyond 5 excused school days require administrative approval.
3. On the third consecutive day of absence while under a doctor’s care, a note from the doctor with the inclusive dates of treatment should be submitted to the Main Office so that an extended illness absence ruling can be determined. Teachers will allow students returning to school from an extended illness to make up missed work.
UNEXCUSED ABSENCES, TRUANCY AND CHRONICALLY ABSENT
1. A student is considered truant/chronically absent when absent from school 10% of the enrolled school days without the consent of parents or the school.
Students who are truant cannot make up work missed and will be reported to the truancy officer as required by law.
2. Students with five or more unexcused absences in a given academic semester will receive disciplinary
consequences.
3. A formal attendance plan may be developed and shared with the Ottawa County Truancy Officer.
Additional guidelines available at the Ottawa Area ISD web site: http://www.oaisd.org/oaisd/departments/specialneedseducation/programsservices/truancy/
DEFINITIONS OF EXCUSED AND UNEXCUSED ABSENCES
- Excused absence means the following:
- Student illness/injury/residential treatment (with doctor’s note or verified by parent)
- Medical appointments (with doctor’s note)
- Religious holidays
- Lice (3 days)
- Funeral/death in family
- Mandated court appearances (documented-only if children are required per subpoena).
- Placement by Juvenile Court in detention.
- Educational opportunities approved by school officials
- Travel (5 days with school official approval)
- Unexcused absence is any absence not accounted for above, examples of unexcused absences include, but not limited to:
- Staying home to baby-sit
- Overslept
- Travel (more than 5 days in school calendar or any travel days without prior approval)
- Needed at home
- Weather
- Missed bus
- Child is not immunized
- Sickness (not documented or verified by parent)
- Chronic lice (over 5 days, CPS referral may be suggested/should be considered).
- Willful truancy (skipping/student refuses to attend school per parent/guardian, or reported as a runaway).
- Failure to notify school
TARDINESS
1. School begins at 8:00 a.m. A student who arrives late to school must report to the office and must be signed-in by a parent/guardian. The student will receive an admit slip and report to class immediately.
2. Excessive tardiness, regardless of reason, is unacceptable. Students who are chronically late to school will receive disciplinary consequences (see Black River Elementary Tardy Policy). This includes both excused and unexcused tardies.
3. Students who are consistently late for class and demonstrate a disregard for the value of the time of their teacher and classmates will receive disciplinary consequences. If chronic tardiness continues to be a problem the offending student will have additional disciplinary consequences as determined by the administration of the school.
4. After 10 unexcused/excused tardies, a student will receive a detention to be served with Elementary Administrator, Jim Levering. Continued tardiness may warrant further investigation and development of a formal attendance plan.
TARDY INFORMATION AND EXPECTATIONS
7:30 AM: Breakfast is served in the Lyceum. Students may be dropped off at the Lyceum at 7:15am. Supervision will be provided and the students will be walked over to the Elementary Building at 7:45
7:45 AM: Elementary doors open
8:00 AM: Doors are locked; carline closes/school begins; students are expected to be in the classroom ready to learn. Teachers start marking students tardy if they are not in their classrooms.
After 8:00 AM, parents must bring their student into the Elementary Main Office for a tardy pass.
3:10 PM (2:40 during Project Term): Dismissal (please pick up your child promptly)
CONSEQUENCES FOR EXCEEDING PERMISSIBLE TARDIES (Per Semester):
6th Tardy: Parents will be contacted by the Administrative Staff regarding future consequences for accumulating more tardies.
10th Tardy: Parents will receive an email from the school notifying them of the consequences.
ALL STUDENTS will receive a discipline referral to document the attendance pattern and a before school detention with Mr. Jim. After 10 tardies, the number of tardies will be reset to zero.
Detentions will be served on Thursdays from 7:15am-7:45am in the Elementary Conference room. Doors will open at 7:05. If there is a valid reason that your son or daughter cannot make the assigned detention, it must be made up on the following Thursday with Mr. Jim in the Elementary Conference Room.
If a student misses his or her assigned detention without a valid reason, a detention will be assigned for the next offered detention with Mr. John Donnelly in Room 209 at 7:00am sharp. Doors will be open by 6:50am.
Further consequences will be explored for noncompliance of consequences which may result in a parent meeting with a truancy officer from Ottawa County or suspension. Thank you for the guidance you give as your child sets lifelong attendance habits.
REPORTING ILLNESS OR NECESSARY ABSENCE
The method for reporting absence is as follows:
1. DAY OF THE ABSENCE, the parent should telephone the Attendance Line 355-0055 Ext. 328 to report the absence and give the reason for the absence. The call should be made before 9:00 a.m. each day during the period of the absence.
2. The student is responsible for any classroom work missed during any excused absence.
3. On the third consecutive day of absence due to illness a note from the primary care physician of the student should be provided for documentation of an extended illness.
4. In reference to communicable illness, Black River follows the guidelines of the Michigan Department of Community Health.
LATE ARRIVAlS/EARLY DISMISSAL (PARENTS AND STUDENTS)
8:01-8:10 The student will be marked TARDY/LATE ARRIVAL
3:00-3:10 The student will be marked EARLY DISMISSAL (if the student is checked out BEFORE 3:00pm, it will be coded as an absence as directed by the new guidelines from Ottawa County).
Medical and dental appointments should be made on days or times when school is not in session. When appointments are unavoidable or an emergency arises, the following procedures are to be followed:
1. Parents must call the Attendance Line at Ext. 328 before 9:00am to inform the school secretary of a late arrival or early dismissal.
2. Before leaving the building, the person providing transportation must sign the student out at the Main Office.
3. If/When the student returns to school, he/she must report to the office to sign in and receive an admit slip to re-enter the class currently in session. If the sign out is discovered to be unexcused, it will be reviewed by the Dean of Students to determine appropriate disciplinary consequences.
4. Early dismissals for sports practices or music lessons will be be marked as unexcused absences.
5. Medical documentation may be requested for repeated early dismissals or late arrivals.
ILLNESS DURING THE SCHOOL DAY
1. If a student becomes ill while at school, the student should get a pass from his/her teacher and go to the Main Office.
2. At the office, the student will get their temperature taken and be able to wait for 5-10 minutes to determine if he/she is able to return to class.
3. If the student is unable to return to class, the parent will be notified and expected to pick him/her up at school.
4. In the case of a medical emergency the school will call 911 as appropriate.
5. The person providing the transportation must sign the student out in the Main Office before leaving school.
LUNCH
Parents may take their children out for lunch; however, they must return on time before class resumes. Also, this should be communicated in advance to the teacher and administration. Please make sure you sign your child in and out when they leave campus for any reason.
EXTENDED ABSENCES (vacations, trips)
1. Black River strongly discourages extended absences during the school term. Vacation days count toward the 5-day excused absence limit each semester. The decision for the absence is the responsibility of the parent and the student and should be made with consideration given to the student’s current status in school, with serious thought given to the impact of the absence. It is the student’s responsibility to arrange for and complete any work missed.
2. Absences for vacation, family trips, ect. over 5 days will be marked unexcused per the Ottawa County Attendance Policy.
3. If an extended absence is required, students and parents must fill out an Extended Absence Approval Form available in the front office prior to the absence and receive written approval from an appropriate administrator.
4. The school staff assumes no responsibility for work missed on extended absences (other than those caused by illness and documented by a physician), and teachers may elect not to provide makeup opportunities for tests and projects missed due to an extended absence that does not directly involve a medical procedure or condition.