Attendance, Tardies, and Truancy! What you need to know!

What are attendance requirements?

ATTENDANCE Students are only allowed 6 absences per semester in each class.  This includes: Medical absences Bereavement Parent notes Parents are called by automated phone message each evening if a student is absent in one or more classes that day. Parents are notified by mail when a student has 3 and 5 absences in a class.

ATTENDANCE Absences due to: field trips documented college visits documented job shadowing and in-school suspensions …..do not count against your attendance!

Are excuses really needed? Any student who misses school MUST present a written excuse, signed by a parent/guardian… or a medical excuse. The excuse must be turned in to the attendance office within three days of the student returning to school. Absences that are not excused are considered unlawful. The maximum number of days that will be recorded as lawful absences with a parent note is 3 days per semester.

What is Make Up School?

Make-Up School Students missing 7 or more days in any class must attend Make-Up School. Students who do not attend Make-Up School will receive a failure due to absences (FA) for that class. This means no credit earned for that class. An FA must be cleared within the same school year to earn a credit for that class. The only way to clear an FA is to attend Make-Up School. No exceptions. Make-Up School sessions are scheduled throughout the semester and require a $20 fee per session to attend. Listen for Make-up School announcements next week.

What is truancy?

Truancy Students are considered unlawfully absent when: Students are willfully absent from school without the knowledge of their parent. Students are absent without acceptable cause with the knowledge of their parent or guardian. Students are out of town on a trip or vacation.

Truancy After 3 consecutive days absent, or a total of 5 unlawful absences, school officials are required to contact parents and students for a conference.  The purpose of this conference is to identify reasons for a student's absences and to complete an intervention plan.  Students under the age of seventeen, who exceed the maximum number of absences allowed, may be referred to Family Court for truancy.

What is the tardy policy?

Tardy Policy A tardy is defined as not being seated in the classroom, ready to work, when the tardy bell rings. An excuse for a tardy must be submitted to the attendance office. A tardy due to traffic, running out of gas, oversleeping, flat tire, loss of electrical power, eating breakfast at school, etc. is not an excused tardy. Excessive unexcused tardies to class will result in disciplinary action. 

Attendance Policy https://www.rock-hill.k12.sc.us/domain/572 https://www.rock- hill.k12.sc.us/Domain/2084 Please go to these links to read more detailed information on the Northwestern High School Attendance Policy.

“O” is for Ownership You are responsible for knowing the attendance policy You are responsible for attending school daily You are responsible for bringing excuses to attendance within 3 days You are responsible for getting to class on time Discuss how attendance meets the characteristics of the other letters of TORCH.