Student Handbook

Important Points

STUDENT ATTENDANCE

Regular and punctual school attendance is expected of each student enrolled at Meadow Heights Elementary School because of the proven relationship between a child's good attendance in school and good grades/learning.  Likewise, it is an established fact that children with poor attendance normally do not achieve up to their potential and more often than not take home poor or failing grades in school.

It is understood that occasional absences from school may be necessary for elementary aged children under certain circumstances, i.e., illness, hospitalization, a death in the family and/or other family emergencies that might arise.  Parents and/or guardians are encouraged to make every effort to see that their child/children are in school and stay in school throughout the course of the school year because we simply can not teach children who are not here!

Elementary students will be allowed 12 verified absent (V) days per school year.  Verified absences include the following reasons:

Illness or injury of the student, illness or injury of a member of the student’s family when the student’s presence is necessary or expected, visits with a parent or legal guardian who is an active duty member of the military who has been called to duty for, is on leave from, or is immediately returned from deployment to a combat zone or combat support posting, with permission or the superintendent or designee, or absence that has an education or family value when approved in advance by the building principal. 

In order to verify a child's absence when it occurs, parents/guardians should do the following:

  • Call the elementary office (866-2611) by the morning after the absence by 9:00 a.m. to provide a reason for the absence; please do not call your child's teacher but call the office instead; or we will call you and verify the student is absent and why; notification from an older brother or sister will be accepted only if they are serving in a guardian role to that younger brother or sister.  Students who impersonate parents or who request another student to do so will be subject to suspension from school and they and their parents must meet with the building principal before they are allowed to return to school. 

Parents will be notified, in writing, when their child has missed 3, 6, 9 and 12 verified days of absences in a school year. 

Any day over the 12th verified day in a school year the student must have a valid written excuse by someone other than the parent/guardian (i.e. doctor or dentist, etc.)  PARENT’S CALLING IN WILL NOT SERVE AS A VALID EXCUSE.  AFTER THE 12th  VERIFIED DAY, FOR ALL DAYS AFTER THAT, THE STUDENT MUST HAVE A VALID WRITTEN EXCUSE.

An excused absence (E) is a student absence that has been approved by the district and is supported with appropriate written documentation, including but not limited to, medical appointments, dental appointments, a funeral of a relative, or a verified religious observance. 

For unexcused or unverified absences (A), the student will be treated as being truant; therefore, students will receive discipline in accordance with Board regulation JC-R1.  Students will only be allowed to make up work for the unexcused or unverified absences by attending an after school detention as outlined in JG-R1.  6.  Any student who is marked as an unexcused absence (A) 3 times will be referred to the Bollinger County juvenile officer.  Continual persistent truancy will lead to charges of educational neglect against the parent/guardian and even prosecution against the parent/guardian by the Bollinger County prosecuting attorney.


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