Academic achievement and success are closely related to attendance and arriving at school on time, ready to learn. Every effort should be made by the student and the parents/guardian to see that students attend all their classes every day. The absence or tardiness of any student affects not only their progress but also negatively impacts the progress of the group. In addition to classes, the attendance and tardy procedures and consequences are inclusive of Advisory, Study Hall, Clubs, Islamic Studies, activities and all scheduled courses including the DP Core class. 

Absent From School

All teachers report attendance for each period on PowerSchool. Seniors exercising their Senior Privilege are required to follow the specified procedure (see below). Any student arriving late, past the 20 minute tolerance for being considered tardy, must scan the attendance QR code or type out the URL address for the attendance form located outside each student's classroom, and then provide a reason in the Attendance Form. An auto-generated email will also automatically be sent to parents with the reason for the tardy/absence. Teachers will also have access to the attendance sheet generated by the completion of the attendance form.

Minimum Attendance Policy

High School Leadership and counselors will take the necessary steps to modify the behavior of students frequently late to school with a possible attendance contract. AIS-R maintains a minimum requirement of attendance for each semester. Students may check their absences in PowerSchool. 

Arrival to a class within 20 minutes will be counted as a tardy. After 20 minutes, students will be considered absent. 4 Tardies in any course will be considered as 1 absence. All students must scan the attendance QR code or type in the URL address for the attendance form before entering a class late and give the reason for being late/absent. Automatically an email will be sent home, whether excused or not, to inform parents of the attendance issue. Teachers will also have access to the sheet generated from the attendance form.

Time missed out of any class period in excess of 20 minutes is marked as an absence and contributes to the Minimum Attendance Policy. This includes, but is not exclusive of:

• Late arrivals to school Courses of 20 minutes or more unless excused by HS Office

• Leaving school Courses early with 20 minutes or more remaining in the period unless excused by HS Office

• Leaving a Course for more than 20 minutes at any point using the eHall Pass, unless excused by HS Office

Students must not be absent more than seven (7) periods per course per semester to receive credit in that course. Any student absent for eight (8) or more periods of any course will not receive credit in the course for that semester. This will result in a failing grade, the student will be placed on Academic Probation and be required to make up the credit in an off-site school.

Students who are registered in an every day course must not be absent more than ten (14) periods during the semester to receive credit for that course. Students who are absent for eleven (15) or more periods may be taken out of the every day course. 

Field trips , school-sponsored activities , or school-sponsored sports do not contribute to the minimum attendance policy.

In an effort to help our students maintain good attendance, parents will receive a phone call from the office any day that their child is absent from school Courses. In addition, please note the following attendance consequences:

• At three (3) absences per Course, families will be emailed by the student's counselor 

• At four (4) and (5) absences per Course, families will be called by the High School Office (an SST may be applied)

  • At six (6) absences per Course, families will be called by the APs and a meeting (possible an SST) will be arranged to discuss the importance of attending school regularly

• At seven (7) absences per Course, families will be invited for a second meeting. Extraordinary situations will be reviewed and considered by the administration. Students will be placed on an attendance contract* at the end of any semester if a student has shown poor habits or disregard for the attendance policy.   

Study Hall is a Student Life requirement. Students who are absent from more than seven (7) Study Halls per semester will receive an Incomplete for Student Life. A parent conference will be required and the missing time will be made up to maintain a "pass". If the time is not made up, the Incomplete will be replaced by an FA. Students who fail Student Life will not be eligible for re-enrollment at AIS-R. 

Students who are absent from assigned after school learning for travel reasons, must send an e-ticket or stamped passport copy to the High School administration or face out of school suspension on the next day at school. Please note that this does not excuse the absence, but provides evidence of the reason for the absence. Assigned after school learning must be made up at the next available opportunity. 

Attendance in Advisory, Clubs and assemblies are graduation requirements. Students absent will need to make up the missed learning during assigned after school learning. Failure to attend two assigned after school learning sessions per semester will result in an out of school suspension and an invitation to withdraw from AIS-R. 

Students missing Advisory and assembly will make up the missed learning during assigned after school learning. Failure to attend two assigned after school learning sessions per semester will result in an out of school suspension and an invitation to withdraw from AIS-R.

Students in Grades 11 and 12 who arrive late for school on the mornings that their day begins with a Study Hall will make up the missed time during lunchtime detention on the day they missed the Study Hall, excluding Senior Privilege.

Students who are persistently absent from the first block during a semester will be placed on a special contract. From that point on, they will be issued with a lunch detention every time they fail to arrive for the first lesson. 

Students who transfer from one  course to another during a semester will have the absences from the first course carried over to the new course.

Islamic Studies is a mandatory requirement for all Saudi National students by the Ministry of Education. Failure to attend, places the student’s enrollment at AIS-R at risk. Students who miss Islamic Studies for any reason will make up the missed class during assigned after school learning through the Islamic Studies Google Classroom to make up missing assignments. Once they make up the time and missed learning, students will be marked as present.

Students who miss Islamic Studies in the final two weeks of Semester 1 will make up the missing classes during after school learning in Semester 2. Their Semester 1 Islamic Studies grade will indicate that they have passed the Semester 1 course. Students and parents will be notified of the necessity of making up classes by a letter from the High School Principal in January.

Distance Learning Contract (DLC)

A Distance Learning Contract will be approved by the High School Principal for four documented reasons only:

1. Hospitalization 

2. Bereavement 

3. Visa emergency

4. Acts of Nature (e.g. documented extreme weather, natural disaster, etc.) 

A DLC will not be approved for the reason of extending a holiday. The minimum period of time for a DLC is five instructional days. The maximum length for a DLC is 10 instructional days. When a DLC has been approved by the High School Principal, the student must fulfill all the conditions or the absences will count towards the minimum attendance policy. In the semester where a DLC has been approved, a student may not have more than two additional absences per class.

End of Semester Early Leave Policy

In the event a student departs AIS-R prior to the end of the semester, there are no special arrangements for final exams or take-home assignments and the student will receive a grade of “0” for the missed exam and/or an “incomplete” (no credit awarded by AIS-R). 

Student Withdrawal

Parents who plan to withdraw their children from AIS-R must complete the Withdrawal Notification form found on AIS-R’s website at least two weeks prior to the student’s last day of attendance. Each withdrawing student will receive an official and unofficial final transcript, their original health form and a letter of attendance. Additional copies of official documents and the Saudi Ministry of Education attestation may be ordered at Document Services on AIS-R’s website.

Students withdrawing from AIS-R must complete all exams and final assessments that are required by their teacher. If exams and final assessments are not completed, the student will receive a “0” for their exams/assessments and an “incomplete” on their transcript. 

Gate Procedures

The following are the general gate procedures for entering and leaving campus, including during the exam period:

• • HS students may leave through the gate when dismissed at 3:30 and return before 3:45. After 3:45, the gate is closed and students are not allowed to enter campus

  • HS students have RFID cards and scan the cards upon entering and departing campus. 

    • Students must have their card to enter campus 

      • If students do not have their card, they must go through security to identify as a student. Their name will be recorded and emailed to hsoffice@aisr.org

      • The HS office will notify the student that they must either bring or replace their card. If they continue to come to campus without their card, they will begin to face consequences:

        1. First offense - reminder 

        2. Second offense - detention

        3. Third offense - After school learning and phone privilege for the semester. Senior privilege revoked 

        4. Four offense - After school learning and phone privilege for the semester and a parent meeting

        5. Fifth offense - After school learning, phone privilege for the year, parent meeting, and behavior plan 

        6. Sixth offense - Superintendent informed and moved to conditional status 

        7. Seventh offense - Placement at AIS-R rescinded

  • HS exams: students may enter campus for their exams and leave campus when their exam is finished

    • Students may not leave campus after one exam and then return for another exam later in the day (e.g. leave after a morning exam and come back for an afternoon exam)

Arriving Late to Class or Leaving School Early Procedures 

Students arriving late to school or late to class are required to go directly to the HS Office to scan the Attendance QR code or type in the URL address for the Attendance form, and then complete the Attendance form. In the form, students will type the reason for being late, an email will automatically be sent to the student's parents to verify the reason for being late, and the student's teachers will be informed of the reason for being late through the sheet that is generated. Students who are late to any class by 20 minutes or more are marked as absent for that class. Students who leave school with more than 20 minutes of remaining class time are also marked as absent for that class. Students must provide the HS office with a parent/guardian note or email, or a stamped and signed note from the doctor/agency the student visited that day. Medical or dental appointments during the school day must result in a receipt being given from the agency to the High School Office Manager. If a student takes any flight that interrupts days of school (after school learning), they must send a copy of the e-ticket or stamped passport to the HS Office Manager for verification. Please note that this does not excuse the absence, but provides evidence of the reason for the absence. The after school learning must be made up at the next available opportunity.

If a student is chronically tardy to school or class, then the APs, a teacher or the counselor can refer students to our Multi-tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) once all other interventions have been attempted. These interventions include the following consequences:

• 1 to 4 Tardies – Excused.  Experience tells us that four “pre-excused” tardies per semester allow for the unpredictable nature of morning traffic. Therefore, students who exceed the four will not be excused from detentions

• 5 to 7 Tardies - after-school detention for each tardy and a call to parents from the grade level leader

• 8+ Tardies - After school learning and parent conference. Students will be placed on an attendance/tardy contract for the next semester. 

Students may not attend school if they arrive after lunch.

Truancy/Cutting Class

Truancy or cutting class will not be tolerated under any circumstances. The consequences for truancy are:

• 1st offense - After School or Counseling Classroom Learning in the School Day

• 2nd offense - Out-of-School Suspension, meeting with parents, and an Attendance Contract

• 3rd offense - An invitation to withdraw from AIS-R

A student is considered truant if they:

• Are absent without knowledge and consent of parent or guardian 

• Falsification of any documentation verifying an absence

• Leave school without signing out at the office

• Absent from class, after arriving on campus, without the consent of the school or teacher

• Obtain a pass to go to a certain place and do not report

• Fail to attend scheduled meetings, assemblies, etc.

• Leave class and do not return

Attending Siblings' Performances

AIS-R is a busy school and there are many wonderful assemblies, performances, and activities going on all year long. Because daily attendance is a vital part of the learning process, we cannot allow students to attend all of the performances, assemblies or activities of their older or younger siblings. However, we do recognize that there are some functions that are important for families to attend together; therefore, the exceptions to this are the one-time-a-year assemblies and passage ceremonies. Students will only be allowed to attend if their parents come to the HS office to officially check their child out of class.

Cross-Divisional Event Student Attendance - During the School Day:

• • In order to attend a siblings performance, the following guidelines must be followed:

    • The parent must contact the respective office(s) and give permission for their child to attend the event

    • The duration of the performance must not exceed 60 minutes  

    • All Elementary students must be accompanied by an adult

      • Elementary students do not attend a siblings Assembly performance unless the sibling was absent on the day of the dress rehearsal

    • At times, seating is limited therefore, the respective division must give permission to the family/siblings prior to attendance approval. It is the expectation of the family to contact the division in which the performance is taking place.

    • All students must sign-out and sign-in from their respective office 

Learning from Home in the Event of Illness 

If a student is ill, they are responsible for contacting their teachers by email and for checking Google Classroom on a regular basis. Students must arrange with their teacher(s) to take any formative assessments or major/minor assessments that have been missed. In most cases, a different, alternative assessment will be arranged.

Appointments

Students and parents are asked to schedule appointments (dental, orthodontic, medical, etc.) outside of school hours. If this is not possible, scheduling appointments at the same time and during the same class period over a semester must be avoided. All students who attend appointments during the school day must send a receipt or booking ticket from that appointment to the HS Office Manager the next day. Failure to do so will result in an after-school detention. A student must arrive at school before lunch finishes in order to be able to attend their remaining classes.

Appointment Procedure for Early Dismissal

Before school on the day of an appointment, parents should send an email to the High School office (hsoffice@aisr.org) to receive a gate pass. The email from the student's parent or listed guardian in PowerSchool stating:

• The reason for leaving school

• The name and phone number of the student's destination

• The time frame for which the student is to be excused, including when the student will return to school

Parents may be contacted to verify the above information. Please note that for any absence of over 20 minutes a student is considered absent from class and this absence counts towards the minimum attendance policy.

In order to leave campus before regular dismissal, the HS Office Manager will notify the teacher(s) of the student being dismissed early and the student will collect their gate pass from the HS Office Manager to present to security upon departure from campus. 

If the student is able to return to school from the appointment, the student must check in with the HS office, complete the Attendance Form, and secure a pass to return to class. Students able to return to class the same day from an appointment must do so. Students will not be allowed to go to any doctor or dentist appointments without permission from a parent.

Absences and School Events

In order to participate in any school event (athletic, concert, drama, social, etc.), a student must attend all classes on the day on which the event takes place. Extenuating circumstances may be reviewed by the High School Leadership. 

Attendance and School Trips

When returning to Riyadh from a school trip:

• • it is mandatory that all students attend all classes the very next day, in the event of a late night arrival (before midnight), 

  • it is mandatory that all students attend their 3rd and 4th block classes the very next day, in the event of an early morning arrival (after midnight), 

Make-Up Learning and School Trips

Traveling students are responsible for school learning missed while traveling. Prior to missing any school days, participants are required to check their assignments and submit/complete all outstanding learning/essential assessments within two days of returning to school.

Make-Up Learning

The decision as to what is required for make-up and the time and place of make-up learning will be the responsibility of the teacher in conjunction with the student. It is the student’s responsibility to check with the teacher and to complete the required make-up learning within the allowable make-up period following the student’s return to school. Make-up periods are as follows:

• • 1 day absence = 2 day make-up period, etc. for absences of less than three consecutive days

  • 3+ consecutive days absence = six days maximum

Essential assessments with due dates known in advance of the absence are exempt from this make-up time allowance and are due upon the student’s return to school unless there are extenuating circumstances. 

Late Assignment Practices and Procedures

Meeting due dates requires responsibility and students are expected to manage their time and prioritize so due dates are successfully met. To support students’ efforts in meeting this expectation, teachers shall:

• • Announce deadlines in advance

  • Provide sufficient time as determined by their professional judgment

  • Post assignments and their due dates to respective Google Classroom

Students who do not submit their assignments by the published due date, either electronically or by other means, will be referred to our Multi-tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). Should students be required to attend the after school learning support session, parents will be notified by telephone or email on the day that the learning has not been submitted so that they can make alternative transport arrangements. If a student does not complete their learning with MTSS support, they will be assigned an after school learning.

DP Internal Assessments (IA) are covered by AIS-R’s IA Practices and Procedures.