Dove Academy’s Student Attendance Policy

2008-2009

Please review Dove Academy’s complete Student Attendance Policy in the Academy’s 2007-2008 Student/Parent Handbook. Below is a summary of Dove Academy’s Student Attendance Policy for your quick reference:

ATTENDANCE POLICY

The Law

Your child is required by law to attend school. Dove Academy is a school of choice. We appreciate that you have chosen Dove Academy to facilitate your child’s Elementary Education. Now that your child is enrolled, it is our responsibility by law to track your child’s attendance at school. State Law (MCL712 A.2 and MCL380.1561) states that children must attend school on a regular basis. These statutes outline that it is the responsibility of the parents to make sure that minor children comply with this law.

Truancy

In Michigan, truancy is defined as, “a child who is repeatedly absent from school without valid excuse.” Truancy can also include patterns of absences or tardies, such as every Monday.

Unexcused absence from school (truancy) is not acceptable. Students who are truant will receive no credit for school work that is missed. A student shall be considered a “habitual truant” when, in spite of warnings and/or his/her parent’s/guardian’s efforts to ensure attendance, s/he has accumulated more than ten (10) consecutive or fifteen (15) total days of truancy during a semester:

· No credit will be recorded for work missed as a result of truancy.

· A record of truancy will be entered in the student’s record file.

· A parent conference may be held.

When a child has missed 20 days of school (without a valid reason) a referral will be made to the appropriate authorities due to the infraction of the Michigan School Code.

Any student who is absent from school for all or any part of the day without a legitimate excuse shall be considered truant and the student and his/her parents/guardians shall be subject to the truancy laws of the State.

Arrival – Students must report for school at 8:00am. All classes will begin promptly at 8:15am.Students arriving after 8:15am will be considered late for school. Between 8:15am and 8:30am students must CHECK IN at Dove Academy’s main door on Lantz (3^rd graders should report to their building’s main door on Rolyat).*

ALL STUDENTS ARRIVING AFTER 8:30am MUST BE SIGNED IN BY THE ADULT BRINGING THE STUDENT TO SCHOOL IN OUR MAIN OFFICE.* If at any point during the school year, a student arrives after 8:30am two times, the adult bringing the child to school must meet with an Administrator.

Participation - Class participation will be a component of Math and Reading grades for all grade levels. Students must be present to participate in lessons and class activities.*

* Please note these are new policies for the 2007-2008 school year

Absences - When your child needs to miss school, please let us know that s/he will be out by reporting their absence to our Student Absence Report Line (313-366-0100) by 8:00am. Student Absences can be EXCUSED for the following reasons:

• Personal illness (the Principal may require a doctor’s confirmation if he deems it advisable)
• Quarantine of the home (This is limited to the length of the quarantine as fixed by the proper health officials)
• Death of a relative
• Observance of religious holidays
• Court appointment
• Absence during the school day for professional appointments (i.e. dental appointment, counseling, doctor’s appointment, etc…)

Keep in mind, a day out of school is a day out of school regardless of the reason. It does not matter if the absence is excused, the day still counts as an absence on the student’s attendance record.

The difference between an excused absence and an unexcused absence is the opportunity to complete makeup work for credit. An excused absence allows the student to make up all possible work within the same number of days of the excused absence (i.e. If the child is absent 2 days, s/he has 2 days to complete the makeup work for credit when s/he returns to school). It is the responsibility of the student to obtain missed assignments. Participation can not be made up. A student must be present to participate in the lesson/activity.

Please give the main office staff and classroom teacher 24 hours notice when requesting assignments for a student who has been absent. All assignments prepared for students who are absent can be picked up from the main office.

Suspensions – Students that miss school due to a suspension can make up the work within the same number of days as the suspension (i.e. If the student was suspended for 1 day, s/he has 1 day to make up the work for credit when s/he returns to school). Participation grades in Reading and Math can not be made up since the student has to be present to participate.

Frequently Absent - Students who are excusably absent for more than 5 days in a marking period, regardless of the reasons will be considered “frequently absent.” The Academy will require a written statement by the child’s physician describing the illness or physical condition that causes the child to frequently miss school.

Early Dismissal – As a condition of your child’s enrollment in Dove Academy, you must determine if the Academy’s school day is a good fit for your schedule. Our school day ends at 3:15pm and our students are required to be present for the full school day. Students can not be dismissed early on a regular basis. We do understand that emergencies occur that require students to be picked up from school before 3:15pm. When this is necessary, the student must be signed out in our main office before the student can be dismissed from class. When a child is picked up early more than 3 times during a marking period, the parent/guardian will be required to schedule a conference with the Assistant Principal.

Late Dismissal – Regular dismissal at Dove Academy begins at 3:15pm and ends at 3:30pm. Any student picked up after 3:45pm must be signed out from our main office. A childcare fee of $10.00 every 15 minutes will be charged for this after school service. If you need to pick up your child after 3:45pm on a regular basis, the Academy is offering an Extended Learning Program for the first time this school year. Information about this program will be available in our main office.