Attendance Policy

Our Pre-K program is not only a part of the Rabun County School System, but it is also funded by Bright From the Start: Department of Early Care and Learning. That being said, it is important for parents to understand our attendance policy because it follows both system's attendance guidelines.

Bright From the Start, as well as, RCPS wants to ensure that the children enrolled in the Pre-K program are receiving the maximum benefit of the program, which can only happen with regular, on-time attendance. Please understand that this does not mean that the school nor Bright From the Start want children to attend school when sick. It does mean that the expectation is that all students attend school regularly when healthy. The following paragraphs explain the attendance expectations and procedures including absences, tardies, checkouts, and changes to dismissal.

• Please enter the school only through the main entrance located at the office. All other doors are locked at 8:05. All school gates are locked at 8:30 with the exception of the gate at the high school. You will need to use that gate if arriving after 8:30. Once you have arrived at RCPS, ALL visitors must sign in and obtain a visitor’s pass. To leave the school, you must return to the office and sign out. Please do not knock on the outside classroom doors or hallway doors and asked to be let in. For everyone’s safety, we are not permitted to let anyone in from the side doors.

• Arriving at school on time is also extremely important. If your child arrives at school later than 8:05, he or she is counted tardy. If arriving after the tardy bell (8:05), you must bring your child in and sign him or her in at the front office and receive a tardy slip to present to the teacher. If tardy, please do not drop your child off at the front doors and have him or her walk in alone.

• Please feel free to walk your child into the school building for the first week of school. With this being a new experience for parents and children, some children may be teary and it is understandable. A quick hug and kiss goodbye with reassuring words that you will see them soon often helps alleviate some of the anxiety associated with the separation. Typically, if a child is upset and a parent continues to linger, the child has a tougher time with the transition. We assure you that we will love these children as our own and tearful mornings will get better (for both children and parents)!

• The Rabun County School System and Bright From the Start have strict guidelines on attendance. According to Bright From the Start, any child missing 10 consecutive days of school without a medical or reasonable excuse can be withdrawn from the program. Family vacations are not considered as a “reasonable” excuse. Because it is a lottery funded program through Bright From the Start, any child who is repetitively absent, tardy or who repeatedly leaves school early can be withdrawn from the program. We encourage you to try to schedule all doctor appointments toward the end or after school if at all possible so that your child will not miss instructional time. In the event your child is sick, please provide a doctor’s note or parent note. This documentation is very important and will ensure your child’s place in the program. All parent or doctor excuses must be delivered to the office staff at Rabun County Primary School no later than three (3) days after returning to school. No excuses will be accepted after the three day period has passed. State law and Rabun County Schools policy requires that all excessive absences be turned over to the Department of Juvenile Justice.

• Please understand that the school cannot allow anyone to pick your child up that is not listed on the pickup list, unless a note is sent. If your child is picked up before 2:50, he or she will be considered an early checkout for that day.

• CHANGES to TRANSPORTATION: While email is very convenient, it is not an effective method for communicating changes about your child’s transportation. We ask that you please notify the office of any change in your child’s transportation no later than 2:00.

• Attendance Incentive - Our class will receive a Wildcat paw on our door for every day that we have 100% attendance in our class. After we have received 20 paws, we get free ice pops as a class!