1. Illness

• Parents are required to report the absence through the SchoolPass app by 9:30 A.M. If the parent does not notify the school, the absence will be considered unapproved.

• Prior to returning to school after an absence related to illness, the parent is to submit a reason for the student’s absence as an attachment through the SchoolPass App.

• Students who become ill during the school day must report to the main office to obtain permission to go home. Any missed tests, quizzes, or homework needs to be completed within a reasonable time period upon return and due dates should be arranged between the teacher and the student.

• Students who arrive for part of the school day are responsible for completing any missed tests, quizzes, or homework assignments that same day.

2. Doctor, Dental, and Medical Appointments

• Doctor, dentist, and other medical appointments should be scheduled at a time that minimizes the impact on class time. Parents who request that students be excused from school for medical appointments must do so through the School Pass App. The main office will issue a pass that allows the student to leave class. This pass should be signed and returned to the main office when the student returns to school.

• Students returning from medical appointments must submit a note from the medical office confirming the appointment via email or the School Pass App. Students who are absent and do not present a medical note, will not be allowed to participate in co-curricular activities that day.

Communicable Disease Response Plan Community Response:

Students, faculty, and staff who develop primary symptoms of illness (cough, a temperature of 100.4°F or higher, chills, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, or new loss of taste or smell) will report this to the school.

The school will record the symptoms reported or observed using a symptom tracking tool. This form allows for the CONFIDENTIAL documentation of symptoms and the date school became aware and excluded the individual.

Students, faculty, and staff who have symptoms will stay home or be sent home.

Students, faculty, and staff who have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for a communicable disease, is waiting for a communicable disease test result for themselves, or has a positive communicable disease test result will report this exposure to the school prior to returning to campus through our reporting system using the Communicable Disease Event Reporting Form and if exhibiting symptoms or after receiving a positive test result should remove themselves from all on-campus contact until they have communicated with our Designated Contact Tracer for clearance.

Any questions regarding communicable disease health concerns, contact tracing, symptoms, isolation, and quarantine should be directed to healthreporting@centralcatholichigh.org

School Response:

Students, faculty, and staff who develop symptoms of illness while at school will alert their teacher and/or supervisor immediately. We encourage all students with COVID-19 symptoms to seek medical advice. If the ill person has non-COVID-19 symptoms, then usual disease-specific return-to-school guidance should be followed.

Requests to be excused from school for reasons other than illness should be made one week prior to the day of absence and can be reported through the SchoolPass App.

Absence Request

Parents can request an approved absence through the SchoolPass App. This notification is to be submitted to the school prior to the date(s) of the absence. If the student is not in class on the return date, that absence will not be approved. The student is responsible for all work missed, including tests. Homework and tests should be completed prior to the excused absence unless other arrangements have been made with the teacher.

Students who miss school for a school-related activity must have the appropriate permission notification submitted by their parents. It is the responsibility of the student to communicate their absence with the teachers and their counselor. The Dean of Student Management will make final decisions on whether a student may be excused from school for a given activity.

College Campus Visits

Students are encouraged to use school vacations and weekends to visit the campuses of colleges they are considering attending. When this is not possible, students are allowed to miss up to three school days to make college visits providing they secure permission by submitting a notification of absence at least one week in advance.

The school day begins when the student enters the building. Whenever a student leaves the building during the school day for any reason, they must sign out at the main office. Upon returning to school, the student must sign in through the main office.

Students who miss school due to an illness or emergency situation need to make arrangements with each teacher regarding make- up work and tests. Counselors are available to support students with this process. For each day missed, the student will have two school days to make up the work.

If a student leaves school for any part of the school day, or arrives later than 30 minutes at the start of the school day, because of illness or unapproved absence, they may not participate in or attend any school function or athletic practice/competition that afternoon or evening. Such participation will warrant that the daytime absence be classified as unapproved. Such participation will also warrant that the student be temporarily excluded from participation and attendance at future events.

Students need to be in attendance the entire school day in order to attend or participate in a school function or athletic practice/ competition that afternoon or evening.

If a student leaves school during the school day for a medical appointment, they may not participate in or attend a school function or athletic practice/competition that afternoon or evening unless they submit an official note from the medical provider confirming the appointment. Such participation with a medical note will warrant that the daytime absence be classified as approved.

Our Excessive Absences policy adheres to the following guidelines. Policies are in place for excused and unexcused absences:

1. Students who are absent from class five (5) times in a semester will receive a warning.

2. Students who are absent from class seven (7) times in a semester will be required to meet with administration and will be placed on attendance probation.

3. Students who are absent from class ten (10) times in a semester will need to go through an appeal process (see Appendix 1) to receive credit for the course.

A student may appeal for excessive absences no more than two semesters over their four years.

School sponsored activities and medically excused absences are excluded and DO NOT count in attendance total.

Unapproved absence from class will have the following consequences:

1. Teachers and parents will be notified; students will attend after school study hall for 80 minutes per class missed on Cardinal and Gold Days and 60 minutes per class missed on M, T, W Days.

2. If there is an additional unapproved absence, students will be placed on discipline probation.

Attendance during academic culmination week is mandatory and all exams must be taken at the assigned time. A student who is absent for an exam and has not followed the attendance policy and procedure for a regular daily absence will be considered unexcused from her or his exam and will not be able to make up the exam without going through an appeal process (see Appendix 1). If the student chooses not to appeal, they will receive a zero for the exam. Exams will not be administered early.

Students are to be inside their respective classrooms or locker rooms when the bell rings for class to begin. Those who arrive late for class must obtain an admittance slip from the main office.

Tardies will be considered approved only for good reasons accompanied by a School Pass notification from parents. A student is only allowed five (5) parental approved tardies a semester. After five (5) approved tardies all other tardies will be considered unapproved. After the fifth unapproved tardy, Lunch detention and a loss of off campus lunch for seniors will be issued. Only the Dean of Student Management can approve a tardy.

Ten(10) unapproved tardy requires the student and Parent to meet with the Dean of Student Management to determine outcomes and support. If half of a class period is missed, the tardy is considered an absence.

Once students have arrived at school, they may not leave the premises during the school day without a signed pass from the Dean of Student Management, Safety, and Security, main office, or other administrator. Violators are subject to disciplinary action.

Students who leave the premises must obtain their pass from the main office and sign out. Students are to check-in through the main office upon returning to school.   

Seniors with parental permission may leave school at lunchtime. Seniors must submit a signed permission form from their parents at the beginning of the academic year. Central Catholic reserves the right to revoke off-campus privileges at its discretion.