GRACE HIGH SCHOOL ATTENDANCE POLICY

GRACE HIGH SCHOOL ATTENDANCE POLICY

Student attendance at school is the responsibility of the parent/guardians and students. Every effort will be made by school personnel to keep the parents/guardian informed of student absences.

Students who accumulate more than 24 attendance points in any class during a semester receive an NCA: No Credit due to Attendance.

Attendance Points:

  • Excused Absence........................3 pts.

  • Unexcused Absence...................4 pts.

  • Excused Tardy.............................0 pts. (Up to 3 per period, per semester)

  • Unexcused Tardy........................2 pts.

  • School Excused Absence...........0 pts.

  • *Medical (w. Dr. Note)...............0 pts.

* Students will be allowed 4 medical excused absences per semester without those absences affecting attendance points. However, beginning with the 5th medical absence, students will be assessed the same 3 points for a medical absence that they would have received for an excused absence, provided that a doctor’s note is submitted to the high school office. Otherwise, the medical absence will be considered an unexcused absence.

EXCEPTIONS: Students who have a serious illness or accident for an extended period of time, certified by a medical doctor, may be able to receive credit by petitioning an attendance committee, made up of the high school principal, high school counselor, and a faculty member representative. Decisions of the attendance committee may be subject to approval by the superintendent and/or school board.  Only students who can verify all of their absences may petition for credit.

Students will have TWO DAYS to provide evidence (written excuse or parent phone call) to the high school office that any absence was excused. After two days, absences will be considered unexcused. Doctor’s or dentist’s statements of student illness must be verified at the time of the illness – not at the end of the semester.

Once a student has received an NCA (over 24 points due to absences and/or tardies), the student has two options for removal of the NCA:

**OPTION 1)**The student can sign-up for Credit Recovery School. Credit Recovery School will be offered twice per semester only; once near mid-term and once near the end of the semester. When attending Credit Recovery School, one (1) hour equals the removal of one (1) NCA point. A student can make arrangements to remove up to four (4) NCA points during a single Credit Recovery School.

**OPTION 2)**The student can make arrangements through the high school office for after-school supervision. This is based upon availability of a faculty/staff member, as approved by the principal. This option allows a student to remove NCA status during the course of the semester when Credit Recovery School is not regularly scheduled or in the event that a student desires to reinstate their extra-curricular eligibility more quickly than a regularly scheduled Credit Recovery School would allow.

When attending After-School Credit Recovery, one and one-half (1 ½) hours equals the removal of one (1) NCA point. A student can make arrangements to remove only one (1) NCA point on any given day after school. Preferably, After-School Credit Recovery should begin immediately after school and no later than 4:30 p.m., so that the session always ends no later than 6:00 p.m.

Students must make arrangements with the office PRIOR to attending Credit Recovery School or After-School Credit Recovery.

It is the educational philosophy of Grace High School that students need to be in class in order to learn; and that missing too many days in any one class impairs a student’s ability to learn. As a result, once a student has been penalized a total of 36 attendance points (12 points over the original 24 NCA points), the student loses all academic credit for the class and cannot reclaim that credit. Students may also need to retake the class if necessary in order to meet graduation requirements.

Example: A student reaches 27 points and attends Credit Recovery School for three hours to remove 3 NCA points, bringing the total NCA points back down from 27 to 24 points, thus removing NCA status. The student’s original 27 attendance points are still a part of the student’s attendance history. If the student continues to be absent or receive tardies and ends up with 36 total attendance points that are a part of their attendance history for the semester, the student can no longer remove NCA status and receives no credit for the course.

All NCA’s must be cleared within three weeks of semester end or no credit will be given for that class. There are NO exceptions to the three week time period.

Students will not be excused to miss scheduled classes and remain in school or on school premises.

Seniors attending college orientation may be excused for a maximum of one day during the year if they have written notification of attendance from the college. With the high school on a four-day week schedule, students are encouraged to use Fridays for attending college orientations.

Students will not be school excused for working in the potatoes beyond the ten scheduled potato harvest days. Notes from employers will not be accepted. You may be excused by your parents, but 3 attendance points per absence will apply.