Attendance Policy
By state law the only excused absences are illness, medical and dental appointments, and bereavement. Parents must call the school at 563-2515 ext.1003 to report an absence. If the parent has called each day, it is not necessary to write a note. If no call has been made, the student must bring a note when returning to school. The note should include: student’s name, date of absence(s), reason for absence(s), and parent signature.
Students who transfer to Adams from schools within the district are required to meet certain conditions in order to remain at the school of choice. These conditions are described on the back of the transfer form and on the intradistrict/interdistrict Transfer Contract, both of which you are required to sign each school year. The conditions transfer students are required to meet are:
- Attendance – the student has regular attendance with no more than 10 excused absences, 5 tardies, and fewer than 3 unexcused absences. Students who miss 10% of the school year at any point, are chronically absent. Parents/guardians of students who are chronically absent will be asked to problem solve with a site administrator.
- Behavior – the student maintains appropriate behavior and no suspensions.
- If these conditions are violated, your child’s transfer to Adams WILL NOT be renewed for the following school year.
ADDRESS VERIFICATION
All students must show one proof of verification of address. No student will be allowed on the school grounds without proof of verification of address.
ARRIVAL
The school day begins promptly at 8:30 a.m. No students are to be on campus before 7:30 a.m.
TARDIES
A student is considered late to school if not present at 8:30 a.m. When a student arrives late, he/she must report to the office to receive a late slip. It is imperative to pick up a slip, notify the secretary and give it to the teacher, otherwise student is marked absent and a note home will follow.
EARLY DISMISSAL
Parents must sign their child out from the office if the child needs to be dismissed early for any reason.
OFFICE HOURS
7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday – Friday
EXTENDED ABSENCES
An Independent Study Contract is suggested for students absent from school for 3 or more consecutive days. A maximum of 15 total days is the maximum allowable within every school year. It is the parent’s responsibility to notify a site administrator (not the teacher or the front office) at least two weeks in advance of the absence so that school assignments may be obtained before leaving. It is the family’s responsibility to return all the assigned work to receive full credit upon the day of return.
ABSENCES IMPACT LEARNING
Students who are absent miss valuable learning opportunities under the supervision of a trained professional. Any absence, regardless of justification, contribute to loss of learning. That's why we want students at school any day they are healthy enough to attend. Students who come every day are rewarded in knowledge. On regular cycles, we celebrate students with perfect attendance. However, we know that students will occasionally be too ill to leave home and may need to stay home to rest and get better.
Families of students who miss 3 or more days of school will be invited to an attendance meeting. Student who miss 10% of the school year are considered chronically absent, regardless of the reason. Studies show that when students are chronically absent within grades K-3, they may miss so much school that they are significantly behind by 5th grade.