Attendance

Success in Learning

Frequent absence of students from regular classroom learning experiences disrupts the continuity of the instructional process. The benefits of regular classroom instruction are lost and cannot be entirely regained, even by extra after-school instruction. Consequently, students who miss school frequently experience great difficulty in achieving the maximum benefits of schooling.

Excused Absences

Students are expected to be in attendance in all classes each day. Only students who are ill, have a medical appointment that cannot be scheduled at another time, or who have a family emergency will be excused. Phone calls to verify absences for students will be accepted only from a parent or legal guardian. Phone calls must be received by 10:00A.M. on the day of the absence. If no call is received the day of the absence, a student may be considered unexcused and truant. Parents without phones should make personal contact with the school during registration or prior to the start of school. Written notes will be accepted only in these situations. If a student must bring a note, it will be the student’s responsibility to bring it to the office.

Colorado Law

It is necessary for every child who has attained the age of seven years and is under the age of sixteen to attend school (Colorado Revised Statute 22-23-104). Westminster Public Schools School Board, as directed by (Colorado Revised Statute 22-23-107), defines a habitually truant student as “a student having four (4) unexcused absences in any one month or ten (10) unexcused absences from public school during any school year. ” Absences due to the suspension or expulsion of a child shall be considered excused absences. An unexcused absence, which may be from a single class or multiple classes, is one that the school does not approve. Examples of absences that are unexcused include babysitting, oversleeping, working, missing the bus or ride, “ditch days,” or being gone ten minutes or more from an assigned class. Colorado Sports Leadership Academy's discipline procedure for unexcused absences (truancies) is as follows:

First truancy – student can be suspended pending a parent conference and placed on an attendance contract. The student will make up class time missed before school, after school and/or during lunch detentions.

Additional truancy – all additional truancies may result in suspension, referral to Adams County Juvenile Court, expulsion or other terms agreed to in the attendance contract.

Tardy Policy

A student is considered tardy if he/she is not in the classroom, ready for instruction when class begins. Students who enter late with a written excuse from a teacher, counselor or administrator will not be considered or marked tardy. Late students will be counted as such and not sent to the office for a pass. Each teacher will handle the first four consequences for students’ tardies. More than five tardies may require a conference with the parent, teacher, student and administrator to develop strategies to resolve the tardy problem.