Attendance
School Attendance Matters in Giles County
Give your child the “Opportunity to Learn” everyday!
“Attendance is important to me.
I will strive for no more than three.”
PRE-K ATTENDANCE POLICY
1. Please communicate with your child's teacher when your child is absent.
2. A doctor's excuse is required after three (3) consecutive days of absence.
3. If a child has four (4) or more consecutive absences—or four (4) or more absences within one (1) month—the site-level administrator will contact you to determine the child’s participation status. The site-level administrator will document attempts to contact you and the outcome of those attempts and/or communications.
4. If a child misses five (5) or more days in a three (3)-month period, the site-level administrator will contact the family to develop an attendance plan.
5. Every effort will be made to ensure your child has access to a quality school program. However, VPK seats are limited and are made available through a state grant. A child, who has more than five (5) unexcused days per month, or ten (10) unexcused days in a year, may be terminated from the program for failure to follow the attendance policy.
6. Because the seats are limited, your child’s spot may be filled as soon as he/she is withdrawn. Future eligibility for the terminated child to re-enter the program will depend upon vacancies after a 30-day waiting period and a parent conference to establish a faithful, binding Home/School Compact.
Giles County Schools Attendance Policy Progressive Truancy Interventions
Tier 1 – 4 unexcused absences – Internal meeting at school
Tier 2 –6 unexcused absences – Saturday School for Parents of students in Grades K-5
Tier 3 – 7 unexcused absences –External Truancy Board meeting at the Giles County Board of Education
8 or more unexcused absences - Petition or criminal summons to court.
Do you know the Policy?
• Only five (5 days, whether consecutive or not can be excused by a parent note.
• All absences due to an illness must be accompanied by a medical note.
• All Parent and Medical Notes MUST be turned into the school within five (5) days of the students returning to school.
• Tardies and early checkouts accumulate into days absent. Three (3) tardies is considered an absence. Three (3) early checkouts are considered an absence.
Absences can affect student’s grades:
For Grades Kindergarten-8th grade:
Any student who totals three (3) or more unexcused absences in a course during a semester or five (5) or more unexcused absences in a course for the school year shall receive an “F” for that semester or school year.
For Grades 9-12:
The accumulation or more than eight (8) unexcused absences during a semester will result in a failing grade and no credit for the course.
Student Attendance and the Law
T.C.A. 49-6-3001 –School age -
(1) Every parent, guardian, or other person residing within this state having control or charge of any child or children between six (6) years of age and seventeen (18) years of age, both inclusive, shall cause such child or children to attend public or non-public school, and in event of failure to do so shall be subject to the penalties hereinafter provided. (The courts have ruled that the word "inclusive" requires a child to attend school until the day before his/her eighteenth birthday.)
Possible Consequences for Truancy and or Education Neglect
T.C.A. 40-35–111
A. A petition can be filed in Juvenile Court for truancy, based on excessive unexcused absences.
B. Parents may be charged with Educational Neglect in the General Sessions Court which is a class C misdemeanor. Each unexcused absence constitutes a separate offense and could carry up to 10 days in jail and/or $50.00 a day fine for EACH unexcused absence.
What can parents do to give their child the “Opportunity to Learn” everyday?
Set a regular bedtime and morning routine.
Lay out clothes and pack backpacks the night before.
Don’t let your child stay home unless your child is truly sick. Keep in mind the complaints of stomachache and headache can be a sign of anxiety and not a reason to stay home.
If your child seems anxious about going to school, talk to teachers, school counselors or other parents for advice on how to make them feel comfortable and excited about learning.
Develop back-up plans for getting to school if something comes up. Call a family member, a neighbor or another parent.
Avoid medical appointments and extended trips when school is in session.
Parent Communication Text Messaging Communication
Just send “Y” or “Yes” to 67587
Contact Information
Whitney Kovach, M.Ed
District Support Supervisor
wkovach@gcboe.us
931-363-4558