Attendance Policy

Students are expected to attend school every day classes are in session. Reasonable excuses for absence include: serious illness, death of a family member, close friend or relative, religious holiday (advance notice is suggested), approved extra-curricular activities, and special requests as made by parents in advance. Attendance will be taken at the start of each class period. Students arriving after third period will be marked absent for the first half of the day, and will receive credit for one-half day in the attendance logs.

Parents are expected to call the school attendance hotline by 8:00 a.m. each day a student misses school, informing the school of the reason for absence. Please make this call; otherwise, the school will call each home to verify the absence. If parents fail to call in, or if no one can be reached, the absence will be considered unexcused and students will be considered truant and not allowed to make up work. Parents are also responsible for reporting a change in supervision for their child (parent out of town, in hospital, etc.).

Tardiness is not acceptable. Three total tardies in any quarter will result in before or after school detention. A student refusing consequences will be referred to the County Prosecutor's Office for resolution. Persistent tardies will be treated in the same manner.

NLA is required by law to refer students with excessive unexcused absences to the county in which they reside. Different counties have different definitions of excessive. Copies of the local county laws are available in the office. Examples of excused absences (legitimate reasons) include:

• Sickness
• Medical or mental health appointments
• Religious holidays
• Family emergency

Examples of unexcused absences include, but are not limited to:

• Missing the bus
• Employment
• Need for sleep or rest
• Babysitting

For absences of two days or more, parents may call the office to arrange to pick up homework assignments. It must be recognized, however, that some experiences cannot be made up. Make-up work must be completed in a timely manner according to the discretion of individual teachers. A minimum of two days for each day of absence will be allowed.

While students are expected to be in class everyday, North Lakes Academy recognizes the possibility of parents needing to pull their children from school for family reasons. We ask that parents inform the school well in advance of these instances, and arrange for class work to be done in advance or made up upon their return. Full credit will be given for work done according to these arrangements. We encourage families to plan vacations during regular school breaks. Parents must submit a completed pre-arranged absence form (see sample below) prior to departure.

Parents removing a student from classes in the middle of a school day must come into the building and sign out the student. Students may not sign themselves out. Students must sign in upon return to school after an excused midday absence.

Sample Pre-Arranged Absence Form

(Forms available in the school office.)

This form is required for all pre-arranged absences. Failure to report a vacation or other pre-planned absences will result in the absence being recorded as unexcused.

Homework assignment sheets will be filled out by each of the student's teachers and must be picked up by the student prior to the absence. Students are responsible for making up the missed work.

Submit this completed form to the office administrator at least two weeks prior to the absence.

Student Name________________________________________ Grade________

We, the parents/guardians of the student name above, request that he/she be excused from school for the following reason(s):

__________________________________________________________________

Date(s) student will be absent: ________________________________________

Parent/Guardian Signature __________________________________ Date_____

Administrator Signature_____________________________________ Date_____