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Student Life » Attendance

Attendance

Attendance and punctuality are essential at Saint Mary’s High School. Since physical presence and active participation in classroom activity is an integral part of the learning experience, excessive absence and tardiness is a major obstacle to the educational process.
 
If a student is absent for any reason, a parent must telephone or e-mail the Attendance office on each morning of the absence. Upon return from the appointment, the student must provide a written note from the provider to the Attendance Office before returning to class. If you must leave for an appointment, you must either call ahead, email or provide the attendance office with written permission for the appointment.
 
ATTENDANCE POLICIES
 
The full attendance policy at Saint Mary’s High School is as follows:
 
If a student is absent for any reason, a parent must telephone or e-mail the Attendance office on each morning of the absence. Upon return from the appointment, the student must provide a written note from the provider to the Attendance Office before returning to class. If you must leave for an appointment, you must either call ahead, email or provide the attendance office with written permission for the appointment. Any student who has had a communicable disease must have a release from their doctor before being readmitted to school. Students, including 18 year olds, may not write their own notes. If a student does not submit a parental note, the absence is unexcused.
Students who are absent from school all day may not be allowed to participate in or attend any extra-curricular activity on that day (i.e., sporting events, practices, dances, rehearsals, try-outs, performances or any other Saint Mary's sponsored function.) Minimum attendance for participation is two full class periods. The student must be present in class for the entire period.
  • Students who are late for any class must report to the Attendance Office before going to class. Failure to do so may result in disciplinary action.
  • When a student is on campus he/she is expected to be in his/her classroom and not in the library, bathrooms, etc. If a student is sick, he/she must go to the infirmary right away.
  • Tardies can only be excused between 8:15 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. and only on the day the tardy occurs.
  • For every unexcused tardy a student receives, the student must serve up to 1 hour of detention immediately after school the day of the tardy.
  • Students must report to the designated place for detention within 5-minutes after the last class of the day dismisses.
  • Failure to serve a one-hour tardy detention on the day the tardy was received may result in additional hours being added to the original number and the student being socially suspended until all hours (including the additional hours) have been served; students may not be able to participate in, nor attend any, extracurricular activities until all hours are served and with further approval of the Deans.
  • Students will be limited to 3 parental excused tardies per quarter. After the third parental excused tardy in a quarter, all tardies will be considered unexcused.
  • Students who accumulate 7 unexcused tardies in a given quarter may be required, along with their parent(s) to attend a meeting with the Dean of Students; teachers and coaches most affected by the students' excessive tardiness may also be asked to attend the meeting.
  • Students who accumulate 9 unexcused tardies in a given quarter may be placed on social suspension for a minimum of three weeks. Additional tardies will be dealt with by the Deans.
  • Medications will not be furnished to students by the school. If a student must have medication during the school day, the following procedure should be followed:
  • Where reasonable and feasible, the student's medication should be self-administered.
  • Instructions from the doctor, parent and/or guardian stating the nature of the medication should be filed in the Attendance Office.
  • Student medication is to remain in the Attendance Office.
  • All medications must be clearly marked (prescription container, original package, etc.)
  • A parent must notify the Attendance Office and students must check out through the attendance office before leaving school. Leaving school grounds without an off-campus "Blue Slip" obtained directly from the attendance office will result in a "cut".
  • Students are required to remain on campus for all days shortened due to on-campus activities (including, but not limited to Masses and rallies).
  • The student must report to the Attendance Office when returning and turn in the "Blue Slip" before going back to class.
  • For field trips, a special off-campus permission form signed by parents is required. Overnight field trips are subject to an attendance and academic review, with permission being granted at the discretion of the Vice Principal and the Dean of Students. If a field trip is scheduled and falls on a Sunday, arrangements will be made to attend Sunday Mass.
  • College visits are considered absences with parental permission.
  • Seniors are allowed off campus for lunch every day; Juniors are permitted to go off-campus for lunch on Wednesdays. Sophomores and Freshmen do not have off-campus lunch privileges. Upperclassmen who drive underclassmen off campus for lunch will be held responsible and subject to disciplinary action.
  • The school is released from any liability for a student who goes off campus for lunch.
The safety and security of our students continues to remain a top priority of the school administration. Therefore, in the best interest of our students, faculty and staff, we ask that the following procedures and guidelines be followed:
 
  • All visitors must register in the Main Office/Lagorio Building.
  • Sign-in includes name, time in & out, and destination.
  • Visitors remaining on campus for any length of time will be issued a visitors pass.
  • Parents/visitors requesting to speak with a student during school hours must be cleared through the Office of the Dean.
  • To avoid interruptions in instructional activity, we will not deliver messages to students in classrooms except in the case of an emergency.
 
OUR ATTENDANCE SECRETARY
 
btaylor
Beth Taylor
Attendance Secretary
(209)957-3340 Ext. 122