Policies

Black River Public School believes it is the partnership we have with our parents and guardians that help our students build the habit of good attendance and punctuality. Current research supports the fact 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, that are more likely to have lower grades and be less prepared in both school and in life. Even as children grow older and more independent, families play a key role in making sure students get to school on time every day. When you make school attendance a priority, you help your child get better grades, develop healthy life habits, avoid dangerous behavior and have a better chance of graduating from high school.

UNDERSTANDING OUR ATTENDANCE PHILOSOPHY

We feel very fortunate that you chose Black River Public School, a strong community that values and supports quality education for our children. As a partner in your child's success, we believe regular school attendance is one of the most important factors affecting student achievement. Results of study after study demonstrate that students who attend school regularly do better than those who are frequently absent. School data overwhelmingly supports the fact that good attendance increases student achievement. Time missed from class cannot truly be compensated for in any adequate way and a stimulating, thoughtful classroom discussion or analysis cannot be made up. When absent, your student misses the opportunity for give and take, for questioning and being questioned. Classroom learning is a communal endeavor where teachers and students learn by being able to share ideas in an open forum. Absent students also 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.  Simply put students cannot achieve these goals if they are not in the classroom. We strongly believe there is no substitute for attending class and parents and caregivers are urged to stress the importance of regular attendance and punctuality. Learning the responsibility of getting to school and class on time is an integral part of the Black River Public School standard of excellence, which prepares our students for success and college readiness. In our school, instructional time is viewed as a precious resource. Consequently, we view chronic absenteeism or tardiness as a serious problem.

WE'RE ALL CONNECTED - LET'S COMMUNICATE!

Black River views communication as the key to a student's attendance success. Today's rapidly evolving technology has bridged the communication gap between educators, students, and parents. We feel fortunate to have access to instructional tools like Infinite Campus which provides real-time access to grades, attendance, assignments, schedules, and more. Black River parents and/or guardians and students can view daily attendance, attendance codes, and attendance comments at any time by logging in to the Infinite Campus Parent Portal. If you do not have a Parent Portal account please fill out the following form and you will receive an email with information on how to activate your account with access information.

In an effort to better service the schools of the OAISD, there is a common language and coding that is recommended for each school to use in regard to attendance. Your student's attendance record follows them to each school they attend. These common codes make it easy for schools to communicate.

Additional Parent/Caregiver Attendance Information and Resources:
Build Good Attendance Habits Handout for Elementary Students - English
Build Good Attendance Habits Handout for Elementary Students - Spanish
Build Good Attendance Habits Handout for MS/HS Students - English
Build Good Attendance Habits Handout for MS/HS Students - Spanish

SET YOUR STUDENT UP FOR SUCCESS - IMPORTANT TIMES AND EXPECTATIONS

7:15 am - Lyceum doors open.

7:30 am - Breakfast is served in the Lyceum. Supervision will be provided and the elementary students will be walked over to the elementary building at 7:45 am Middle School/High School can wait in the Lyceum or outside until the main building doors open at 7:50 am.

7:45 am - Elementary doors open.

7:50 am - Middle School/High School doors open.

8:00 am. - All campus doors are locked. Carline closes/school begins. Students are expected to be in the classroom ready to learn at 8:00 am sharp! 

After 8:00 am - Students are required to report to the main office for a tardy pass.

Daily Middle School/High School Passing Times and Block Schedule
MS/HS students are given passing time between each class change to move between classrooms and buildings or use the bathroom. Students are expected to be in class and seated by the end of the passing time. Below is a list of passing times: 

1st - 9:26-9:33 am
2nd - 11:00-11:05 am
3rd - 11:55-12:00 am
4th - 1:26-1:33 pm

The Block Schedule can be referenced here.

3:00 pm - Middle School/High School dismissal (Project Term dismissal time is 2:40 pm.) 

3:10 pm - Elementary dismissal - Please pick up your child promptly at 3:10 pm. (Project Term dismissal time is 2:40 pm.) 

ATTENDANCE POLICY 

Students are allowed up to five excused absences per semester during the fall and spring terms, and up to two excused absences during the project term. These absences can be used for occasional sporadic illnesses, health appointments, religious holidays, and similar reasons. For these excused absences,  teachers will permit students to make up any missed work after they return.

Please note the following:

Time away from class because of approved in-school activities and meetings with counselors or other school personnel are coded as (SR) school related and not considered an absence.

All absences beyond the alloted excused per term will be recorded as unexcused unless a health provider's note is provided.

• When a student exceeds the 5-day limit for the semester it may greatly affect their academic success.
• Class time and homework missed due to excessive absence from school or class may not be made up without penalty.    

Communication with the school and teacher(s) is very important.  

Excused illness -  On the third consecutive day of absence, a note from the doctor with the dates of treatment will be requested by the main office or administration. Teachers will allow students returning to school from an extended illness to make up missed work.

HERE ARE THE GUIDELINES ON EXCUSED, EXEMPT AND UNEXCUSED ABSENCES

• Excused absences include:
  • Student illness/injury/residential treatment (verified by parent/guardian)
  • Religious holidays
  • Lice (3 days as a recommendation)
  • Travel 
• Exempted absences include:
  • Student illness/injury/residential treatment (with a health provider's note)
  • Health appointments with a provider’s note
  • Funeral/death in family
  • Mandated court appearances (documented-only if children are required per subpoena)
  • Placement by Juvenile Court in detention.
  • College visit with documentation providing proof of attendance (Two per school year for 11th and 12th grade students)
• Unexcused absence is any absence not accounted for above, examples of unexcused absences include, but not limited to:
  • Arriving late, unexcused - more than ten minutes tardy to class 
  • Staying home to babysit
  • Overslept
  • Travel (after the student has used their allotted five excused absences)
  • Needed at home and personal non-health related appointments
  • Weather/weather-related delays when school is in session 
  • Transportation issues-to include vehicle issues, train delays, traffic, and carpool coordination.
  • Child is not immunized
  • Sickness (not documented or verified by parent/guardian)
  • 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 the main office. (Messages left on the attendance line without an excusable reason as stated above)

WHEN IS A STUDENT CHRONICALLY ABSENT OR TRUANT

A student is considered chronically absent and may be considered truant when absent from school 10% of the enrolled school days. Students who are truant will be reported to the OAISD Attendance Officer as required by law. We will make every effort to help your student succeed. A formal attendance success plan may be developed and shared with the OAISD Attendance Officer. 

INFORMATION ON EXTENDED ABSENCES FOR TRAVEL AND OTHER REASONS

Black River strongly discourages extended absences during the school year. 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 academic standing 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.

Absences for vacation, family trips, etc. over the allotted excused days for the term will be coded unexcused.

If an extended absence is required, students and parents must fill out an Extended Absence Notification Form available in the main office and be returned five business days prior to the beginning of the absence.

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.

TARDINESS

YOU CAN TEACH TIMELINESS - MAKE PUNCTUALITY A PRIORITY!

School begins promptly at 8:00 a.m.  A student who arrives late to school must report to the main office. At the elementary-aged level we ask that the student be signed in by a parent/guardian. At the middle school/high school level, a parent may call the attendance line to report tardiness and the expected time of arrival. The only excused tardy is for illness or a health appointment. All other reasons are unexcused. The student will receive a tardy slip and should report to class immediately. 

Unexcused tardiness is unacceptable. Students who are consistently late for class demonstrate a disregard for the value of the time of their teacher and classmates and will receive disciplinary consequences beginning with detention.

If chronic tardiness continues to be a problem the student will have additional disciplinary consequences as determined by the administration of the school.

CONSEQUENCES FOR EXCEEDING PERMISSIBLE TARDIES (PER SEMESTER)

We believe it is important for parents and students to know the attendance expectations and consequences for exceeding permissible tardies. These steps are to ensure we can provide the support needed to build the lifelong skill of punctuality.

ELEMENTARY-

5th Tardy: Parents will be parents/guardians will be contacted by the administrative staff. It is our goal to keep families informed and offer any needed support to help your student benefit from a full day of school.

8th Tardy: Parents/guardians will be asked to attend an in-person meeting with administrative and teaching staff in order to better understand and evaluate the student’s attendance.

MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOL-

5th Tardy: Parents will be emailed by the administrative staff regarding future consequences for accumulating more tardies and asked what support the school can provide.

10^th Tardy: Parents will receive a student attendance detention notice from the school by email. Students will receive a discipline referral to document the attendance pattern and be required to serve before-school detention.  

DETAILS REGARDING DETENTIONS

Detentions will be served on Thursdays from 7:00 am - 7:45 am Doors will open at 6:50 am.  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. If a student misses his or her assigned detention without a valid reason, a detention will be assigned for the next offered detention date in the main building, room 209 at 7:00 am. sharp. Doors to the main building will be open by 6:50 am. If a student misses multiple detentions they may be suspended for the following school day pending review.

After 10 tardies, the number of tardies will be reset to zero and an attendance support plan will be created. Further repercussions will be explored for noncompliance of consequences which may result in a parent meeting with a OAISD Attendance Officer or suspension. Thank you for the guidance you give as your child sets lifelong attendance habits.

ATTENDANCE CODING FOR TARDIES AND EARLY DISMISSAL
Students arriving between 8:01-8:10 am are coded (UT)TARDY/UNEXCUSED unless your student is sick or has a health provider's note  - If arrival is more than ten minutes late, the code is (LAUX)LATE ARRIVAL UNEXCUSED OR (LAEX) LATE ARRIVAL EXCUSED. The school maintains a record of the number of minutes a student is in attendance and notes attendance comments with the reason for late arrival. 

Students leaving within the last ten minutes of the day are coded (LEU)LEFT EARLY UNEXCUSED unless your student is sick or has a health provider's note. If the student is checked out BEFORE the last ten minutes of the day, it will be coded as an absence.

If you have any questions regarding attendance coding, please contact the main office.

MS/HS CONSEQUENCES FOR EXCEEDING PERMISSIBLE TARDIES/UNEXCUSED ABSENCES (PER SEMESTER)

Continued tardiness may warrant an out-of-school suspension and the student may lose credit for the course as determined by the administration of the school.

Further consequences will be explored for noncompliance with the detention requirement which may result in a parent meeting with a OAISD Attendance Officer or suspension.

PROCEDURE FOR REPORTING ILLNESS OR NECESSARY ABSENCE TO THE MAIN OFFICE

Michigan law places responsibility on each parent or guardian to send their child to school on a daily basis. We ask that you contact the main office by 9:00 a.m. to report illness or absences. The school will follow up on student attendance if a call has not been made and it is coded in the student attendance as unexcused until we receive a phone call or email.

Reporting an absence is as follows:

Day of the absence, please contact the automated attendance line of your child's school.  The call should be made before 9:00 am each day during the period of absence. 

Elementary School Attendance Line
616-355-0055, ext. 328 

Middle School/High School Attendance Line
616-355-0055, ext 228

Please be prepared to give the following information:

• Student's First and Last Name
• Student Grade
• Date of Absence
• Reason for Absence* 

* The school provides the county health department with information on fever and stomach flu totals as well as other communicable illnesses within our student population. It is important to be specific when leaving a reason for illness if your child has a fever or the stomach flu. Black River follows the guidelines of the Michigan Department of Community Health.

On the third consecutive day of absence, a note from the medical provider with the dates of treatment may be requested by the main office or administration.

PROCEDURE FOR LATE ARRIVALS/EARLY DISMISSAL FROM SCHOOL

Health appointments should be made on days or times when school is not in session. Please reference the 2025-2026 School Year Calendar when scheduling. When appointments are unavoidable or an emergency arises, the following procedure should be followed:

Contact the automated attendance line by 9:00 a.m. for late arrivals and early dismissals from school. For last-minute appointments, please call the student's main office as the attendance line is not regularly checked after 9:30 am. Following the above procedures will alleviate waiting long periods of time in the office while staff searches for a student who may be in gym class or not in their assigned classrooms.

Elementary School Attendance Line
616-355-0055, ext. 328 

Middle School/High School Attendance Line
616-355-0055, ext 228

Please be prepared to give the following information:

• Student's First and Last Name
• Student Grade
• Date of Late Arrival/Early Dismissal
• Reason for Late Arrival/Early Dismissal
• Time Student is Returning to Campus

Before leaving the building, the person providing transportation must sign the student out at the main office. In the case of a Middle School/High School student driver or walker, the student is allowed to leave campus and sign themselves out in the main office without a parent coming to the school only when given permission by the parent contacting the main office. The main office will call to dismiss the student from class and the student must sign out at the main office prior to leaving campus. Late pick-ups and drop-offs should not occur at the Lyceum building.

If/when the student returns to school, they must report to the main office to sign in and receive an admit slip to re-enter the class currently in session. If the sign-in/out is discovered to be unexcused, it will be reviewed by the Dean of Students to determine appropriate disciplinary consequences.

Reminder: Early dismissals for extracurricular activities or lessons will be marked as unexcused absences.

Medical documentation may be requested for repeated early dismissals or late arrivals.

ILLNESS DURING THE SCHOOL DAY

If a student becomes ill while at school, the student should get a pass from his/her teacher and go to the main office. At the office, the student may have their temperature taken upon request and determine whether they can return to class. If the student is unable to return to class, the parent will be notified and expected to pick him/her up at school immediately. Middle school/high school students will be allowed to use the office phone or their cell phone (while in the main office) to call for a pickup. The person providing the transportation must sign the student out in the main office before leaving school. Middle school/high school student walkers and drivers will be allowed to leave campus with permission given by the parent/guardian and must sign out in the main office before leaving campus.

In the case of a medical emergency, the school will call 911 as appropriate.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL RECESS VISITS

To help foster the independence of our students and protect the privacy of our student body, parents are NOT PERMITTED to attend recess with his or her child.

MIDDLE SCHOOL/HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT OFF-CAMPUS LUNCH/CAP INFORMATION 

Black River Public School is a closed campus. Upperclassmen are allowed one lunch per year where they may leave campus during lunch/CAP time. This is usually reserved for a special celebration like birthdays, youth group lunch with the leader or senior lunch where a sibling is included and must be communicated on the attendance line by 9:00 a.m. Please leave the name of the youth group leader or parent that will be picking up your student. Students must arrive back on campus before class resumes or they will receive an unexcused tardy. Middle school and high school lunch/CAP hour sign-outs should be communicated in advance to the main office by calling the automated attendance line. Parents may not call in to excuse their underclassmen to participate in senior lunch privileges. Middle School/High School student walker or drivers must have permission before signing out to leave campus. 

BLACK RIVER PUBLIC SCHOOL IS A CLOSED CAMPUS

Black River Public School is a closed campus. After arriving at school, students are considered to be in attendance and may not leave campus for any reason without approval from a parent, guardian, or school administration. This includes walking off campus to buy food at local stores after being dropped off. Students who leave campus without official approval are considered unexcused and will be subject to disciplinary action including suspension from school and/or expulsion depending on the extent of the violation of the closed campus policy. All students are expected to remain on campus during their lunch period, with the exception of those granted senior lunch privileges. These privileges are extended to eligible seniors who have met the academic and behavioral requirements established by the school, and are limited to the last full day of the academic week (typically Friday). Underclassmen are not permitted to leave campus during lunch under any circumstances, and parents may not call in to excuse their students in order to participate in senior lunch privileges. Violations of the policy compromise student safety and the integrity of school procedures and will be addressed accordingly by school administration.

SCHOOL CLOSINGS AND DELAYS

Information about emergency school closing and delayed starts will be displayed on the Black River Public School website, emailed via Infinite Campus and communicated to the local media outlets; WOOD TV8,  WZZM TV13 and FOX17. Parents should always refer to the Black River website for final decisions and notices.

Cell Phone Protocol 2024-2025

If school is to be closed or delayed, Black River Public School will make the announcement via media outlets (WHTC 1450 AM, WOOD TV8) prior to 6:30 a.m. This may occur on days where weather conditions make roads impassable or unsafe, or on days when some unforeseen circumstance renders it appropriate to close or delay the school day. 

A closing or delayed start will also be posted by 6:30am on the school’s voicemail system and in the News Feed on the Black River website.

Delayed Start 10:00am - We intend to keep school open and on schedule as much as possible but sometimes morning conditions can be dangerous, especially for our student drivers. In that spirit, when weather conditions are expected to clear mid-morning, we will call for a delayed start to school. School begins at 10:00am and the doors will not open before 9:50am.

Black River Public School requires a School Volunteer and Campus Guest Profile Form to be on file in the main office before a volunteer or campus guest can help in a classroom, chaperone a field trip, or be on campus for an extended amount of time. Standard school safety procedures require all campus visitors to sign in and out in the elementary or middle school/high school main office and wear a visitor badge while on campus. Please allow 72 hours before your visit for the main office to process your form and once completed your form will remain on file for the school year. 

Important Reminder: A new form must be completed by EVERY campus guest and volunteer EVERY school year.