Absenteeism and Tardiness

Students of Sacred Heart School are expected to attend school one hundred eighty (180) days per year, as required by the state attendance policy (Louisiana Department of Education Bulletin 741) in order to be eligible to receive credit. Regularity of attendance and punctuality are important to the child from the first day of school. Students are allowed to be absent no more than ten (10) days per semester or twenty (20) days per school year (excused or unexcused). Exceptions to this policy can only be granted in the event of extenuating circumstances as determined by the administrator of Sacred Heart School. In general, extraordinary circumstances that would be considered excused absences include:
                                       a. Extended personal physical or emotional illness
                                       b. Extended hospital stay
                                       c. Extended recuperation from an accident
                                       d. Extended contagious disease within a family
                                       e. Death in the family (not to exceed one week)
                                       f. Natural catastrophe and/or disaster
                                       g. For any other extenuating circumstances, parents must make
                                          a formal appeal in accordance with the due process
                                         procedures established by the Advisory Council
 
A child who has been absent for a full day or a portion of a class should present a written explanation from the parent (no more than five (5)) or doctor when he/she returns to school. Excuses are given to the office where the excuse will be posted in the student database. It is the responsibility of the student who was absent to see his/her teacher(s) immediately upon returning in order to make up any work missed.
 
In cases of absences numbering more than allowed by Louisiana law in a school year not covered by the extenuating circumstances mentioned above, the student shall not be promoted to the next grade or given a credit for the course(s) pursued.
 
TARDINESS
 

• If an elementary student is absent for 25 or more minutes for a class, he/she is considered absent in that class.

 

• High school students absent 27 minutes or more will be considered absent in that class.

 
Any student arriving after the 2 ^nd bell must report to the office for a tardy slip before going to class. Repeated tardiness and early sign-out have a great influence on the student’s education. Leaving and arriving during a scheduled class is also an interruption of instructional minutes. 5^th – 12^th grade students receiving 4 unexcused “tardies” for a class warrants a discipline referral, resulting in detention. In the event a student receives 3 additional unexcused “tardies” for the same class, he/she will be assigned an in-school suspension.
 
Teachers will post a grade of “0” for each assignment missed (homework, assessments, projects, etc.) for an excused or unexcused absence. The grade will be changed after the assignment is completed under the following conditions:
 

1. Absence is deemed excused by the administration, and

the assignment is completed
                                              b. Students missing only one day of school are expected to
                                                  have all work and take all assessments upon returning to
                                                  school.
                                  c. If a student should miss more than 3 successive school
days, he/she must speak to his/her teachers immediately   upon his/her return
                                              d. A grade of 0 will be posted for any graded assignment
                                                 during an unexcused absence.
                                              e. Failure to complete and submit the work to the teacher
                                                 will result in a grade of zero.
 
Assignments made prior to the absence or assessments announced prior to the absence must be made up immediately upon a student’s return, and long-range projects are due on the assigned date regardless of absence on the due date. Late assignments/projects may be collected for a grade at the teacher’s discretion. Points will be deducted for each day the assignment/project is late.
 
TYPES OF ABSENCES
Excused: An excused absence is one in which the student is absent for a legitimate reason as determined by the Administration. The student is allowed to make up all the work missed during the absence. The student with an excused absence is allowed to make up any and all work missed during the absence. The student has a maximum of 3 days after returning from an absence to submit an excuse for his/her absence and speak to his/her teacher regarding the make-up work. Excuses submitted after the 3 ^rd day upon return will not be accepted. The student immediately upon his/her return to school must make arrangements for “make-up” work. All excused absences are counted as part of the student’s total attendance record as required by the state attendance policies (Louisiana Department of Education Bulletin 741).
 
Unexcused: An unexcused absence is one in which the student is absent without an approved reason or simply as a matter of convenience (e.g., out of town trips, getting driver’s license, hair/nail appointments, etc.). All unexcused absences are counted as part of the student’s total attendance record as required by state attendance policies (Louisiana Department of Education Bulletin 741).
 
Extended: A student absent for an extended period of time must present a doctor’s excuse to the Administration before being readmitted to class. All extended absences are counted as part of the student’s total attendance record as required by the state attendance policies (Louisiana Department of Education Bulletin 741).
 
Make-Up Missed Time: A student cannot miss more than seven (7) days in a semester for any reason. For any day or partial day of absence beyond seven (7), in order for the student to receive credit, they would have to make-up the seat time at school in tutorial from 3:20 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. at a cost of $25.00 per session. It will take six (6) days of tutorial to make up one full day of missed school. Failure to make up the time will result in the student receiving no credit for the course(s). Generally, the time must be made up within the semester in which the absences occurred. (This is pending depending on availability of teachers willing to be tutors for this reason.)
 
VISITATION OF COLLEGE CAMPUSES
 
If a student conducts an official visit to a college campus during instructional time, he/she must provide official documentation from the college stating the time and date of the visit, reason for visit and a signature of the campus employee providing assistance during the visit. Agendas will not be accepted as official documentation.
 
EDUCATIONAL FAMILY TRIPS
 
Educational trips must be cleared with the Administration in advance of the trip. A request should be made in writing to the Administration describing the trip and the necessity of traveling during school time. Pleasure trips or vacations are not considered educational trips. While the school encourages travel and the opportunity for learning that travel inherently carries, parents should be mindful that any time away from class is lost instructional time for their child/children. Furthermore, absences for educational trips count toward the total number of absences allowed in a year or semester and all work missed must be completed within the time allotted by the teacher.
 
SIGNING STUDENTS IN/OUT DURING INSTRUCTION
 
Parents/Guardians are asked to refrain from signing students out of school for any reason during the instructional day. In the event a student needs to sign out during instruction, the student must present the parent request to the office before the morning bell. Parents/Guardians must sign the checkout book in the office when signing a student out of school during instruction. The signed statement indicates the student's responsibility to insure that all required work and/or tests will be turned in and completed within the allotted time. Elementary students being signed-out to attend a high school pep-rally with a parents may not sign-out before 2:15 P.M. In the event the child is taking a test during the specified time, he/she must complete the test before signing-out. Parents of high school students are allowed to fax a written document including their signature, giving their child permission to sign in and/or out of school. Phone calls or emails will not be acceptable. Students may leave campus with authorized adults only. (Adults in which the parents/guardians have listed as those who may sign out the student.) High school students are not allowed to sign-out siblings at the elementary unless a written note from the parent is submitted prior to the child’s departure. Sacred Heart faculty members are not allowed to sign out students unless they are an immediate relative and are included on the student’s Emergency Contact List. It is important to ensure students do not have excessive absences and/or are not failing the course(s) in which he/she will be absent before signing him/her out of school.