NACKAWIC HIGH SCHOOL’S ATTENDANCE POLICY
A copy of this Attendance policy (excluding the Guidelines and recommendations at the end) will be included in the information packet sent home at the beginning of the year. Parents must sign to acknowledge that they have read and understand the policy.
Student Attendance and the Education Act
The Education Act states that a child is not required to attend school if the child:
- is unable to attend school by reason of the child’s sickness or other unavoidable cause. Medical documentation could be required.
- is officially excluded from attendance under the Act or the regulations (i.e. suspension).
- is absent on a day regarded as a holy day by the religious denomination of the child or the parent of the child, or
- in circumstances considered exceptional by the Minister, is exempted from attendance in writing by the Minister (ex. Home Schooling).
- no consequences will be given for absences considered as school-sanctioned activities. A school-sanctioned activity is one approved by the school administration and/or Superintendent. It is to be recorded as excused.
In addition, the Act states that a parent’s role is to cause his or her child to attend school as required by the Act (13 (1C)) and it is the duty of all students to attend school regularly and punctually (14(1h)).
Rationale: The Education Act refers to regular attendance as both a duty of the pupil and an expectation on the part of parents to cause attendance to take place. Regular attendance is positively related to academic success. Attendance records become an important part of a student’s file permanently available to prospective employers and post-secondary learning institutions. Attendance records reflect habits of responsibility and state of health. Learning experiences that take place in the classroom environment are a meaningful and essential part of a student’s education. Time lost from class cannot be recovered, especially in the interaction and exchange of ideas between students and student and teacher. Academic success can be jeopardized as a natural consequence of non-attendance. Students who continue to be absent, and make no effort to complete work or pass courses are exhausting the efforts of teachers and administration. These students are interfering with instruction because they are constantly behind, thus inhibiting the learning of other students.
All students are expected to attend all of their classes. For the purposes of this policy, all missed classes are considered absences. Excused absences for reasons as outlined in the Education Act are acceptable. Except in extenuating circumstances, all other absences will be considered truant. Truancy is not an authorized absence from classes and, as such, will be regarded as a discipline issue as opposed to an attendance issue.
Student Responsibilities
First and foremost, as stated in the Education Act, it is the responsibility of students to attend each of his/her classes, except in cases as outlined in the Act. Also stated in the Act is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to cause the child to attend. In all cases where a student is absent from Nackawic High School, he/she is to:
- Present a valid excuse, written by parent or guardian (or health professional), to the Advisor and/or subject teacher on the day he/she returns to school. The note (phone call or email are also acceptable) should clearly state the reason for the absence and be presented within 3 days of the absence from school.
- Parents of students are encouraged to contact the school if they know in advance that their child will be absent. It is also a good idea for students to have “buddies” in their classes to collect work and get it to them in the event of an absence from school.
- On the day of return to school make arrangements with the subject teacher to write any tests, which were missed during an absence. Failure to do so will result in a zero grade. Further, in order to write the test, the student must provide the subject teacher with a valid written excuse (or email or call from parent) for the illness or other acceptable reasons as outlined by the Act.
- A pupil who knows in advance they will be absent should get their assignments from their teachers and try, in so far as possible, to complete them before returning to school. In this way they will be more ready to carry on the work when they return to classes.
- While teachers will assist students with acceptable excused absences in getting caught up on missed work, they are not responsible for ensuring that truant students are provided with the work they missed when skipping class. It is the student’s responsibility to obtain the work.
Policy Details
All absences from school, excused and unexcused, are of concern. This policy recognizes the inherent difference between absenteeism and truancy (absent without a valid excuse). After each absence from school, the advisor and/or subject teacher will speak with the student.
- After three (3) instances of unexcused absences from a class, the subject teacher will personally contact the parent/guardian by telephone or email. They will review the policy with the parent and notify them of their son/daughter’s status – they are being referred to Guidance. They will complete a referral form and submit it to the ESST member assigned to them. (If the student is truant for the entire day, the Advisor will make the contact and complete and submit the referral form).
The Guidance Counselor will meet with the student, develop a plan to improve attendance and contact home to discuss the plan with them and to ensure home support. The home contact and the plan will be recorded on the referral form.
- After five (5) unexcused absences from a class, the teacher will inform the Guidance Counselor. The Guidance Counselor will update the referral form and will bring the student’s referral to the ESST to develop appropriate, ongoing interventions. A member of the ESST will contact the parent/guardians by phone or email. They will follow up with a letter (including the Attendance Policy and a record of the student’s attendance). In addition, the Guidance Counselor will again meet with the student.
The member of the ESST who is assigned to be the case manager, will ensure on-going communication with the student, parent/guardian regarding non-attendance and the success of interventions. The student will continue to be monitored by the ESST member.
- If unexcused attendance continues to be an issue (8 days), a required meeting will be held with members of the school ESST (including the Administration), the student and the parent to examine the reasons for the chronic non-attendance and to help develop an ‘attendance incentive plan’ to improve attendance. Depending upon the student’s academic status in their courses, this plan could include consequences for continued unexcused absences, such as a reduction in the student’s schedule or withdrawal from classes for the remainder of the semester.
The Director of Schools for the Woodstock Education Center will also be notified of chronic non-attendance.
Early Departure
Any student who plans to leave at any time during the day must present an excuse to his/her homeroom teacher in the morning, so that the homeroom teacher can record it on the attendance. Any time it is necessary that a student leave school, the student must sign out through the office. Any absence not approved in the above manner may not be considered legitimate and could result in the student making up missed class time.
**Students signing out must be picked up at the school. Meeting a drive downtown is prohibited.
If students do not sign out and have absence approved, the absence will be considered jigging and the student will be required to make up the class time missed.
Late Arrival
Students are required to sign in at the office to receive a late slip to be admitted to class. This also helps us keep accurate attendance records.
School Messenger
Whenever a student is absent for a class period without an excuse, an automated phone call and email will be sent to the parent contacts that we have on file at the school.