Attendance Policy

At ACS Athens, daily attendance is deemed to be an extremely important component in the academic success of the students. It is well understood and documented that there is a direct correlation between regular school attendance and academic achievement. Despite the best efforts and intentions of all, it is further understood that the make-up of work missed cannot duplicate the actual classroom experience and that achievement may suffer. A student is considered to be absent when the student is not in the class assigned for a particular period of the day.

Parents are kindly requested to notify the Assistant Principal’s Office by email at msattendance@acs.gr or by phone at 210 60 70 267 if a student is not coming to school or is expected to be more than 15 minutes late. Communication of a student’s absence is needed prior to 9:15 am in order for the school to be aware of a student’s status. For absences of more than three days, a doctor’s note is required. Parents are asked to plan outside activities (dental appointments, trips, etc.) around the school schedule and calendar. Students who are excessively absent, regardless of the cause for absence (this is defined as being absent more than 10% of the instructional days) may fail a course(s). The American Community Schools recognize that absence from school does and will occur. In recognition of this fact, the student Attendance Policy classifies absences into one of the following categories:

Excused absences for non-school related issues:

• Medical: Parents should phone the school each morning by 9:15am that a student will be absent for medical reasons (illness, medical appointments, etc.) The school reserves the right to require a statement from an appropriate medical authority verifying the requirement for the student’s absence.

  • Parental failure to inform the school of a student’s absence or provide medical documentation when required will result in the student being assessed an “unexcused” absence.

  • In the case of extended absences due to illness, the Assistant Principal and Administration will carefully monitor student progress. After consultation with the parent(s), they will take such action as is necessary to support the best interest of the student and preserve the integrity of the educational process.

• Personal Reasons: Absences from school for personal reasons that are unavoidable are considered “excused”. Parents should phone the school each morning that a student will be absent or provide a written note in advance of absences if possible. Absences that fall into this category, for example, include those due to death in the family or family emergencies that require the presence of the student. The principal and/or assistant principal of the school will make the final determination as to whether an absence in this category is “Excused” or “Unexcused”. Lack of parental communication of an absence will result in the student being determined as “Unexcused”.

Unexcused Absences:

Any absence not excused by the Administration will be assessed as “unexcused”. Unexcused absences from school or class periods may result in disciplinary action. Class work missed due to unexcused absences cannot be made up. 

• Cutting Class: Cutting class (missing class without a valid excuse; or being more than 10 minutes late for the first class of the day without a valid excuse or more than 5 minutes late for the remaining classes of the day) is considered a serious academic offense, showing little respect for the learning process.  Students who cut class will receive a grade of zero for all work done/due on the day of the class or for the day’s class participation grade.

Repeated unexcused absences may result in a parent/guardian meeting with Principal and Assistant Principal to determine a course of action.  Absences due to vacation extensions will generally be counted as “unexcused”. Teachers are not required to prepare additional supplementary material for the student to make up, except in the case of an extended illness. Students involved with a planned absence must arrange to inform the teachers ahead of time to gather assignments.

Excused absences for school-related reasons: 

Students participating in co-curricular or extended learning activities are based on individual choice and personal interest. These activities are normally scheduled after school hours and on weekends, but may require absence from class. No student may miss in excess of 10% of the instructional days (or class periods) in a given school year. It is understood that non-routine absences such as external examinations, assemblies, and approved class meetings must be pre-approved by the Assistant Principal's Office in order not to count towards the above 10% figure within the context of the attendance policy. Additionally students who are on a Greek National team, either for athletic or academic events, may be required to miss class time; such absences do not count toward the 10% mentioned above and are determined as “Exempt”. Parents must contact the Assistant Principal prior in order to arrange support. Appropriate documentation must be presented to the Assistant Principal’s Office signed by the respective federation, clearly stating the absence dates.

Punctuality

To maintain the integrity of the learning environment, students are expected to arrive at school and all classes on time and be prepared for learning when the final bell has rung. Failure to arrive to class on time without a valid excuse will be discussed with the corresponding teacher. Should the tardiness to class occur again, there will be a conversation and monitoring with the Assistant Principal’s Office. Excessive tardiness to class may result in the student meeting with the Principal and/or with the parent for further support. Excessive tardiness is defined as 4 or more tardies in a class for a period of one month, and if not corrected, can lead to a Level 3 misconduct offense. Tardiness due to a late school bus (bus arrival after 8:55 a.m.), will be assessed as “tardy excused”.

BASE & Attendance

In the Middle School, we have deemed BASE a very important start to our school day, and an opportunity for students to take part in lessons and activities aimed to help in their emotional and academic well being. It is crucial that students report to BASE on time so as to not disrupt any needed learning opportunities for all MS students. The rules of attendance apply to BASE which is part of the MS curriculum. Thus, absences in the BASE classes will be counted the same as those in other classes.

Early Dismissal from School

Early dismissal before 3:45 p.m., requires students to have a legitimate reason. The parent or guardian must inform the Assistant Principal and will be granted only if we have a written request from the parents/guardians.  In order to ensure timely dismissal without interruptions, early dismissals must be communicated to the Assistant Principal's Office at least 2-3 hours before dismissal time. In case of a family emergency parents/guardians please contact the Assistant Principal as soon as possible. All students who leave school early must get a pass from the Assistant Principal's Office. 

Withdrawal of Students from School

Given the transient nature of many of our families, it occasionally becomes necessary to withdraw a student from school during the year. If this is the case, parents should send a letter to the Principal and the ACS Athens Registrar, indicating the student’s last day of school and if student records will be hand-carried or mailed to the new school. This letter should reach the school one week prior to withdrawal. The registrar will inform you of the withdrawal process and the forms you will need to complete. The Student Success Center monitors the check-out process, whereby the student returns books, satisfies any outstanding obligations, and bids farewell to ACS friends. A student may not attend school after completing the check-out procedure.

Staying After School

Buses depart campus at 3:55 p.m. All students are required to leave campus at that time unless they are staying after school for an activity supervised by an adult. 

Students waiting for an after school activity to begin may not leave the school premises unless they have written permission from their parents which they provide to the Assistant Principal's Office. 

Please note the following important guidelines:

• Students who are waiting to be picked up should stand by the front gate

• Students waiting for an afterschool activity to begin, are permitted to be either in the library or the basketball courts area in front of the Middle School. Students found in unauthorized areas will be reported to the Assistant Principal. This is considered a Level 2 misconduct.

• Students waiting for siblings who are taking part in after school activities, must wait either in the library or the basketball courts in front of the middle school. Students found in unauthorized areas will be reported to the Assistant Principal. This is considered a Level 2 misconduct.