Hart High Show Choir

The Hart High School faculty and staff believe that there is a direct relationship between good attendance and high achievement. Students with good attendance achieve higher grades, enjoy school, realize success, gain the necessary credits for graduation, and learn positive habits that carry over to their personal and occupational achievement.

We see it as the responsibility of each parent, teacher, administrator, and staff member to promote and stress the value of good attendance. It is also the responsibility of the staff to carry out all attendance policies in a fair, firm, consistent, and timely manner.

Tardies, Truancies, and Excessive Absences

Tardies

A tardy is considered unexcused when the student arrives to class late without a signed, dated, and timed excuse from school personnel. (The number for tardies listed below is for total period tardies).

Consequences for tardies will be assigned as follows:

10 Tardies = Saturday School

13 Tardies = 2nd Saturday School

15 Tardies = In-School Suspension

• At any time, an Assistant Principal can assign Detentions for tardies as needed.
• Teachers may have in place additional classroom consequences.
• Any no show to Saturday School can result in an In-School Suspension.

11 Tardies in a quarter = Loss of Off-Campus Pass for the following quarter

20 Tardies in a semester = No dances (Homecoming and Winter Formal based on Fall Semester, Prom based on Spring Semester)

25 Tardies in a semester = No Parking pass for next semester.

Truancies

An absence is considered a truancy whenever, in the judgment of the Principal or designee, the student intentionally and deliberately failed to report to an assigned class or classes, without reasonable cause. According to Education Code section 48260, "Any student tardy in excess of 30 minutes will be considered absent". If this occurs on each of more than three days in one school year the student may be considered a truant. A student can accumulate up to six truant periods in one day. (The number for truancies listed below is for total period truancies).

Consequences will be assigned as follows:

5 Truancies = Saturday School

10 Truancies = 2nd Saturday School

13 Truancies = In-School Suspension

• At any time an Assistant Principal can assign Detentions for truancies as needed
• In cases of excessive truancies the School Deputy can assign a truancy ticket
• If an absence is unexcused, the teacher has the right to not allow make-up work
• Any no show to Saturday School can result in an In-School Suspension

10 Truancies in a quarter = Loss of Off-Campus Pass for the following quarter

15 Truancies in a semester = No dances (Homecoming and Winter Formal based

on Fall Semester, Prom based on Spring Semester)

20 Truancies in a semester = No Parking pass for the next semester

Excessive Absences

Students who have excessive absences jeopardize their academic success and progress towards graduation. In order to help students develop good attendance habits, the Hart High Attendance Policy limits students to 15 absences a semester. The absences can be comprised of excused absences, unexcused absences, or truants.

Attendance notifications will be made as follows:

• At 5 absences a letter will be sent home.
• At 10 absences a letter will be sent home and/or a staff member will make a parent contact.
• At 13 absences a Student Study Team Meeting will be held and a contract will be signed.

Parent Student Responsibility

Parents are to call the school between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. on EACH DAY OF ABSENCE. The student’s name will appear on the daily cleared absence list.

CONTINUING POLICY FOR THIS SCHOOL YEAR

When a daily phone call is not made, the student must bring a note or the parent must make a call WITHIN TEN DAYS OF THE DATE OF ABSENCE. Any absence not cleared WITHIN TEN DAYS of each day of absence from school will be considered a truant. The extended period will allow for more contact by mail, phone and Email to notify parents in order to clear the absence. Absences will not be cleared beyond the ten days after the absence.

Permission to leave school after arriving on campus must be obtained by the student through the Attendance Office by a verified phone call or a signed note. The student must pick up an Off Campus Permit in order to leave campus. All 11th and 12th grade students must have their ID card to leave campus at lunch. Ninth and tenth grade students who are leaving campus between 12:00 and 1:00 p.m. must be signed out by a parent/guardian in the Attendance Office. A student who leaves campus ill must be cleared through the Health Office or Attendance Office. STUDENTS WHO LEAVE CAMPUS WITHOUT PERMISSION ARE TRUANT. Off-campus passes are required for ANY departure on a minimum day.

Definition of Absences

A. Excused/Warranted Absences

• Illness or injury
• Quarantine
• Medical, dental, optometric, chiropractic services
• Funeral services for a member of the immediate family
• Jury Duty
• Exclusion for failure to be immunized
• Approved school activity
• Appearance in court
• Holiday or ceremony of student’s own religion
• Employment interview or conference
• Essential family travel (3 day maximum)
• Verified family emergency
• Community disaster/emergency
• Funeral services for other than a member of the immediate family (3 day maximum)

*Short Term Independent Study (with an absence of five or more school days) is an option in some cases. Call the Attendance Office for details.

B. Unexcused Absences

A student’s absence is unexcused whenever the absence has been verified as having been avoidable (i.e, oversleeping, missed bus, or running out of gas, etc.).