Attendance Policy
ATTENDANCE AND ABSENCES
If a student is to be successful, he/she should attend school regularly. A student must be in school a minimum of 2 periods to be counted present. The state attendance law requires compulsory attendance until age 17.
EXCUSED ABSENCES ARE:
- Personal illness
- Illness in the family which requires that the pupil miss school
- Death in the family
- Involuntary court appearance
- Dental or doctor appointments
- Prior approval of the principal for vacations, or any out of town trip (Student should bring not several days prior to absence and have principal and all teachers sign the note. Student should then return the note to attendance office to have absence pre-excused.)
UNEXCUSED
All other absences: Upon returning to school you must have a written excuse from your parents or guardian stating the reason(s) for your absences. This note is presented to your homeroom teacher and you will be issued an admit slip. You must have each teacher sign it and turn it into your last period teacher. A pupil with an excused absence is entitled to make up missed work. All students arriving at school after homeroom has started (8:25) should report to the attendance office with a written excuse from his/her parent(s) or guardian. Students receiving an unexcused tardy will be assigned appropriate punishment. Excused and unexcused tardies will follow the same guidelines as absences.
TARDINESS TO SCHOOL OR CLASSES
Truancy from school or skipping classes cannot be tolerated. This not only can hinder achievement, but also can lead to habits of irresponsibility. Those students who wish to attend public school must expect to attend daily and be on time to school and classes. Appropriate steps will be taken to encourage punctuality.
Teams implement various consequences for tardiness including lunch detention. Teachers handle tardies according to their individual or team discipline plan. Students may be turned in to the appropriate grade level administrator and assigned after school or Saturday detention. Excessive tardiness will lead to parent conferences, placement in the in-school detention program, or suspension from school.
MAKE-UP WORK
When absent, the student must arrange with his teacher(s) on the day the student returns to make up the work missed. All missed work should be made up after returning to school. You may call the attendance secretary and arrange to have your work picked up by your parent(s) or guardian for extended illnesses (see Roanoke County policy for more details regarding make-up work).
EARLY DISMISSALS, APPOINTMENTS, ERRANDS, ETC.
If a student must leave school during the day, he/she must bring a written request from parent(s) or guardian stating the time and reason for the early dismissal. This note is to be presented to the attendance secretary. Students must have the parent sign him/her out in the attendance office. If/when the student returns from the appointment he/she must bring a note from the doctor stating time of departure from appointment. Students must sign in and obtain a note from the attendance secretary when they return to school. Parents are asked to use the front entrance picking up students or returning them to school.
WITHDRAWAL FROM SCHOOL
If a student is moving or for some other reason intends to withdraw from Northside Middle School, he/she must be accompanied by his/her parent(s) or guardian and report to the guidance office on or prior to his/her last day of school. On the last day of attendance the student should report directly to the guidance center.