Attendance

Excused absences include:

• Medical excuses
• Court appointment
• Death in the family
• Five (5) parent notes or phone calls on a block schedule or ten (10) on a 180 day schedule indicating that the child was sick, had a medical or court appointment, or death in the family.

 

Documentation for all absences must be provided to the school within one week of the absence. After five (5) notes or phone calls from a parent on a block schedule or ten (10) on a 180 day schedule, proper documentation must be provided. An example of proper documentation is a written excuse from the doctor’s office, clerk of the court’s office, or dentist office.

 

School administration may excuse absences if there are extenuating circumstances or emergencies that warrant such action and the student is considered in good standing with the school academically and has not been absent an excessive number of days. School administration may also excuse absences for family trips for a total of up to five (5) school days during the school year as long as the student is in good standing with the school and has not been absent from school an excessive number of days. Prior approval from the principal is required for a requested family trip to be an excused absence.

An absence is considered unexcused when it is avoidable and unnecessary, or if unsatisfactory documentation concerning the absence has been submitted to the school. (See excused absences above for documentation). If a student is suspended, the absence is considered unexcused.

 

Unexcused absences include:

No note or phone call from parent

Suspensions from school

Any absence(s) after five (5) parent notes or phone calls on a block schedule or ten (10) on an 180 day schedule without documentation from a medical provider, clerk of the court’s office, or death in the family

 

Should a student accumulate five (5) unexcused absences, the principal or his/her designee will meet with the student and the parent or guardian to complete a truancy plan. Parents are required to cooperate; should a parent fail to attend this meeting or be uncooperative, the principal or his/her designee will refer the case to the SCS Truancy Officer.

 

If the student continues to be absent, the sixth (6th) unexcused absence from school will lead to the principal or his/her designee contacting the parent to inform the parent of the violation of the truancy plan and that additional unexcused absences will result in a referral to the SCS Truancy Officer and may include charges being filed against both parties (student and/or parent-guardian).

 

After seven (7) unexcused absences the case will be transferred to the Attendance Officer. The parent/guardian and the student will be required to meet with the Smyth County Interdisciplinary Team for recommendations to avoid future absences and court involvement. Failure to meet with this team will result in the matter being referred to the 28th District Court Service Unit for court intervention. The Interdisciplinary Team is a requirement of the Code of Virginia and is made up of members from community agencies that work with youth.

 

When a high school student has been absent from school, for a total of five (5) days unexcused on a block schedule or ten (10) days unexcused on an 180 day schedule, including suspensions, the student will take a one (1) point deduction per class period for every additional absence that is unexcused. Students are encouraged to make up the time lost per class in an effort to earn back points. Make-up sessions must be arranged with an administrator prior to the make-up session. The make-up sessions will be the length of time missed during the absence per class period.

 

When a student in grades 6 through 12 has been absent from school a total of:

 

5 days per semester – on a block schedule

or

10 days per school year – on all other full year curriculum schedules

 

a doctor’s note will be required for all subsequent absences to be excused.