Student Handbook

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Student Handbook

Procedures

Attendance

Attendance Philosophy

Research shows that few factors within the control of students and families are more closely associated with academic success than school attendance.

Students need to be in the classroom to benefit from the teacher’s instruction and from interaction and exchange of ideas with peers.

Excessive absences affect the culture of the classroom.

A student’s excessive absences or tardiness can lead to incomplete and unsatisfactory work, a reduced capacity to meet course standards, lower course grades, and failure of the course.

Students who have good attendance are more likely to be on grade level, pass classes, graduate on time and be employable. Students who do not have good attendance struggle with school work, are often not on grade level and are more likely to drop out.

Parents/guardians are partners with the school and faculty in assuring that students have good attendance and arrive in class on time.

Chronic Absenteeism

A student is chronically absent if they miss 20 or more days of school (excused or unexcused) in a year – that is 5 days per quarter or 2 days per month. A student is considered truant if they have 15 or more unexcused absences – about 3.5 days per month without a legal reason. Parents of students who are truant are legally responsible and can be taken to court.

Attendance Requirements

Success in school requires regular attendance and is required by Maryland law for children under 17 years old. Students may be legally excused from school/class for the reasons outlined below; all others will be considered unexcused.

Excused absences: Student illness (up to 3 days-parent note, longer doctor’s note); death in the immediate family; court summons; physical or mental incapacity documented by a note from a health care provider; observance of an approved religious holiday; state of emergency or violent storms/hazardous weather conditions (defined by the state); attendance to work, internship, field trip or other activity approved or sponsored by school authorities.

Key Points

Students should enter the school and all classes on time and stay in spaces unless directed by an adult.

Except in the case of excused late arrivals and early dismissals, students must be present in class ALL DAY to be eligible to participate in any sport or extracurricular activity that school day.

Students are expected to attend every class in its entirety. Attendance records are maintained each period and consequences apply to each course individually.

Students are counted as having a half-day absent if they miss 2 of the 6 hours of school.

Recognizing that there are legitimate reasons for absences, parents/guardians must provide a written note that includes the following: name of student, grade level, date of absence, reason for absence (must comply with state guidelines to be considered an excused absence), parent name legibly printed and then signed (only by the parent or guardian), working phone number and email contact.

Notes must be brought to the grade level secretary before 7:45 a.m. within 48 hours of the absence. The secretary will give the student an official absence excuse form for the student to take to each teacher for signature. The student returns the signed form to the secretary who files it and enters the excused absence into the computerized system. Even if an absence is excused, the student must make up missed work.

All absences for approved school-sponsored field trips and sporting events are considered excused. The student is still responsible for making up the school work missed for these events.

Parents will be notified daily via telephone if a student is absent and will receive a letter at 3, 5, 10 and 20 days of absence. At 5 days of absence, the student will be referred to develop a plan to improve attendance.

A conference can be held with the student and parent and his/her counselor or administrator whenever attendance is an issue.

Poor attendance may restrict eligibility to be on a sports team, attend school events such as dances, proms, inauguration, farewell, and participation in the graduation ceremony.

A student or their parent/guardian may appeal to the administration to resolve attendance issues.

Attendance Concerns

Parents can contact teachers, school counselors, administrators, grade-level secretaries, and the attendance monitor about attendance issues. (See numbers and emails at the end of this handbook.) The school will attempt to notify the parent, guardian, or family of any student who is absent any day using the automated dialer system. A parent/family conference may be held whenever a student’s attendance is affecting performance and/or eligibility. It is very important that the school has the most recent address and phone number of the student. Ms. Lake, attendance monitor, can be reached at 443-984-1256 and clake@bcps.k12.md.us

Lateness

In the event that a student is late, they must be accompanied by a parent or bring a signed note from a parent. In instances when students report without a note or parent, an administrator will contact your parent for verification.

Early Dismissal

Students who need to leave school before the close of the school day must obtain an early dismissal pass from the secretary in the Main Office. To receive this, a student must present a written parental request before 7:30 a.m. that contains: Student name, grade, reason for request, AND time student must leave school, Telephone number of parent/guardian where they may be reached that day., Contact must be established with the parent/guardian before any student can be released from school, the legal parent/guardian should pick up their child. Students leaving the building without an early dismissal pass are considered to be cutting class.

End-of-School-Day Dismissal

Students are to leave the building immediately after dismissal unless participating in supervised after-school activities. Students should not remain in the building or on the school grounds unattended.

After-School Activities

Students are allowed to stay after school for supervised activities which include coach class, night school, detention, sports practices, games and extracurricular activities/clubs/ class year committees, and service learning activities. All students must leave the building at the conclusion of the activity. Students must notify their parents/guardians if they will be staying after school for any purpose.

Illness During School

A student who believes they are too ill to participate in classes must request a referral to the Health Clinic from their teacher. The nurse will determine if the illness is serious enough for the student to go home, will contact the parent/guardian, and will inform the Attendance Monitor in the main office who will get the approval of an administrator. Students cannot be treated in the Health Clinic unless they are a member. Membership is free of charge and requires parental consent. Forms are available in the Health Clinic. This membership is in addition to regular insurance or medical care in which the family is enrolled.

Attendance Philosophy

Chronic Absenteeism

Attendance Requirements

End-of-School-Day Dismissal

After-School Activities

Illness During School

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