Reporting Absences

It is critical that your student attend class every day. I will be taking attendance all day for in-person attendance in Google Meets. We need you, our Learning Coaches, to do one most important thing--help us get your child on their Google Meets all day, every day. If you are having technical or internet issues, your child's grades won't be penalized. Your child can still work in Edgenuity or Google Classroom once your internet returns but we do need to have a phone call or email to our clerks so they can notify teachers that your child's absence is due to internet issues:

6-8 Middle School Clerk: Angel Chavez, angel.chavez@aps.edu, 816-9550 x62616

If your student is absent, please call the above numbers to report. Even easier, you can do it from ParentVUE. In addition, APS will send out the following communications to students' families throughout this school year when students are absent. These messages do not come from our school and we can’t stop them.

1. Morning Safety texts: Elementary and Secondary

2. Afternoon Attendance Texts: Elementary and Secondary.

3. Secondary texts include information on the periods missed during the day.

4. Required absence notifications at the absence thresholds of 5%, 10%, and 20%.

If students are chronically absent 10% and 20% of the time, we will develop Attendance improvement plans to support students with attending school every day.

a. Students (and where applicable due to age, parents) are encouraged to reach out to teachers when they return to school for information on any work/assignments missed. Also please check your child’s classroom teacher(s) website for information regarding classroom missed/makeup policies.

b. Excused and Unexcused Absences Absences may be excused for the following reasons with appropriate documentation:

i. Illness (including chronic illness documented on a health plan, IEP or 504 plan)

ii. Limited family emergencies; family deaths

iii. Medical, health or legal appointments

iv. Suspensions

v. Religious commitment

vi. Limited extenuating circumstances as approved in advance by the school principal

vii. All absences for other reasons are unexcused, including non-school sponsored activities or trips and family vacations outside of the normally scheduled school breaks.

Student Family Vacations and Missed Work Policy

“Students are entitled to make-up work for any absence, excused or unexcused. Upon return from an absence(s), students shall request makeup work and will have one day per one day of absence to make up the missed work unless the teacher and/or school administrator allow additional time. The teacher and school administrator may request a meeting with the parent/guardian to determine a timeframe/plan to complete the make-up work. Teachers will provide make up work but may need one full school day to gather the make-up work. If families know ahead of time when an absence will occur, it is best practice to ask for make-up work before the absence occurs.