Attendance
ATTENDANCE LINE (303) 387-8002
Why Does Attendance Matter?
Attending class helps students to stay on track, understand expectations, foster important peer social interactions and generally promote a sense of connectedness. Increasingly, attendance is being understood as a precursor and leading indicator for student success. Attendance matters to students!
ATTENDANCE PROCEDURES
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Parents need to call the 24 hour attendance line at (303) 387-8002 to report an absence, late arrival, or early dismissal of their child.
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Absences should be phoned in prior to 8:40 a.m. on the day of the absence. Parents should leave the following information: Parent name, student's full name, date(s) and reason for absence. See DCSD Attendance Guidelines to know when to keep your child home due to illness.
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For safety, parents will be contacted for any student who is absent and for whom the school has not received a parent call for the absent date. It is extremely important that parent/guardian and emergency contact information be up-to-date in Infinite Campus with home and cell numbers.
Late Arrivals
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It is important children arrive on time for school. Students are tardy if they are not in their classroom at 8:40 am.
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A "tardy" child not only disrupts the class when arriving late, he/she also misses morning circle, as well as the teacher setting the tone/plan for the day.
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When it is unavoidable and a child is tardy, they must be signed-in by an adult at the office before going to class.
Early Pick-Up
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If at all possible, schedule appointments outside the school day to avoid missing valuable classroom time.
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Students must be signed out by an adult on the student's approved pick up list.
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If you need to pick up your child before the school day ends, please do so before 3:45. After 3:45 pm, you will have to wait until the bell rings at 4:00 pm.
Extended Absences
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If the need for an extended absence occurs, parents need to inform the principal and teacher the student will be missing school for three days or more for a planned event.
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Student who miss 10+ consecutive days of school will have their enrollment exited (identified as mobility) from the school. Exiting the student holds the school harmless for lost instruction.
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The teacher can indicate what make-up work the child must complete. However, the teacher is not required to replicate the learning experiences that will be covered in the classroom or provide students with classwork before a trip. Tasks such as completing a book with a response log, maintaining a written journal, and completing math worksheets may be given.
Chronic Absenteeism
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A student absent 10 percent or more of the days enrolled during the school year is considered chronically absent. All absences are included – unexcused, excused and suspensions.
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We are required to monitor attendance per DCSD policy and state law. If you receive communication from school administration regarding chronic absenteeism, please understand that this is a standard part of the district's process.
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Students who are chronically absent may be put on an attendance contract and/or referred to Truancy court if chronic absenteeism continues.