REMINDER to High School Parents and Students

What if I am absent from school?

bullet Your attendance is your responsibility.  You are responsible for knowing the attendance policies and guidelines printed in the 07-08 student handbook.
bullet You are responsible for submitting the appropriate excuse in a timely manner.  If you have not submitted an excuse for your absence within three days after your return to school, the secretary will call you to the office to remind you to turn in the written excuse(s).  If you do not submit an excuse by the due date, your absence(s) will be considered “illegal.” 
bullet When you are absent, bring a note from your parent/guardian on the day you return to school.

ü      Bring a note from your parent/guardian, doctor, the court, etc. the first day you return to school.

ü      The note should be specific and include: your name, the date(s) of your absence, the reason for the absence, the signature of your parent/guardian, etc...  A reason for absence such as “personal reasons” is not acceptable and will be considered an illegal absence.

ü      Be sure to check with your teachers. You are responsible for getting your assignments.

bullet The following reasons are acceptable absences:

ü      Illness/quarantine, recovery from an accident, death in the family, impassable roads, required court attendance, educational field trips, family educational field trip, religious holidays, out of school suspension (OSS), school sponsored activities

bullet The following reasons are not acceptable excuses:

Personal business, over sleeping, missing transportation, hunting

bullet  If you are absent four or more maroon and/or white days in a nine weeks grading period:

ü      You must submit a medical excuse the day you return to school from your absence.  Medical excuses are accepted from students who had an office visit, an emergency room/med express visit, or had a phone consultation with a physician on the day of their absence. 

ü      Medical excuses that result from a phone consultation with a physician that did not occur on the day of the absence will not be accepted. (For example:  You are absent on September 24, 2007 and you contact a doctor’s office on September 28, 2007 to tell them you were absent on September 24, 2007 and that you need a doctor’s excuse.  You then submit a doctor’s excuse that reads something like this:  “Phoned office on 9-28-07 and stated that he/she was unable to go to school on 9-24-07 because of a migraine. He/she was not seen in the office and requested an off/back to school slip.  Signed Dr. Education.”)

bullet Routine Medical Appointments

ü      Please make every effort to schedule routine medical appointments after school. 

ü      If you are required to make an appointment during school hours, please do so at a time that will have the least impact on your son/daughter’s schedule. 

ü      Please be aware that if your appointment is local (Ridgway, St. Marys, Johnsonburg, Kane, DuBois), you will be excused based on the required travel distance and the time of your appointment.  (For example: If you have a doctor’s appointment in Ridgway at 10:00 am, you should report to school in the morning.  You will be excused at 9:45 am and will be expected to return to school after the appointment.) 

Poor attendance affects grades and student performance.  Do not get yourself into attendance trouble and try to fix it at the end of the nine weeks grading period.  COME TO SCHOOL ON TIME AND ON A REGULAR BASIS.  KEEP TRACK OF MAROON AND WHITE DAYS.