Attendance

Student Attendance

Regular attendance is expected of all students. Absences must be explained in a note from parents/ guardians to the secondary advisory teacher. Prolonged absence, regular tardiness, and failure to produce a written explanation of absence are reported to the Head of Secondary as appropriate by the subject or advisory teachers respectively. Absences/Attendance: Regular school attendance is essential to the progress and achievement of the student and is strongly encouraged by all staff. In general students are required to attend 90% of the school dates – i.e. not to miss more than 18 school days in the school year. (Absences greater than 18 days may result in action being taken by the school.) For Diploma courses, students should not miss more than 4.5 classes (i.e. HL Biology) in one semester (or 10% of a particular subject). 

Teachers are authorized to require satisfactory explanation from parents or guardians, either in person or by written note, of any student absence for a class or part of a class during the school day.

Parents are required to notify the school in advance of any planned extended absences during the school year. 

Any student who fails to meet these minimum 90% attendance requirements risks serious harm to their learning and a consequent decrease in academic performance levels. The school will not be held responsible for such loss of learning nor if a student does not meet graduation requirements. 

At the discretion of the school, the student may not be permitted to advance to the next grade level at year's end (SOR 3-A).

 Students arriving late

All students arriving at school after 08:00 will be asked to sign in at Reception. The parents of students who repeatedly fail to meet the 8:00 start time will be contacted by the Head of Secondary's assistant  as appropriate. All teachers keep a daily class attendance register on ManageBac. 

Students wishing to leave campus during school day

Students are not allowed off the campus (unless they are on an ISU field trip) except in special circumstances (Senior Privilege) that must be approved by the Head of Secondary as appropriate (or the Director in their absence). A student may only leave school early during the school day with a written parent or guardian request. The letter must be sent from home to the homeroom teacher or the receptionist in advance.

Student Illness/ Absence

If your child is ill or otherwise will be absent, please notify reception before 8:00 a.m. or send a note or a letter to the advisory teacher or via ManageBac explaining the absence immediately.

Attendance and academic achievement in school are interconnected. Therefore regular attendance is expected of students in accordance with ISU policy.

Student illness during the school day

If a student is sick and needs to go home, the teacher will send the student to the nurse. The nurse will make the necessary contact with the student’s home. The Head of Secondary will be informed that the student has been sent home if this occurs. Arrangements for the student’s transport home must be made by the parent or guardian.

Appointments

Please arrange your child’s appointments, i.e. dentist, for after school hours. If this is not possible, please send a note with your child to inform the advisory teacher of the appointment time. Students are required to sign out when they are leaving the school, and to sign back in upon their return.

Family trips & holidays

Our holiday schedule is already generous. For this reason, ISU does not welcome extensions of holidays. Such absences can seriously undermine the academic program of a class and individual achievement, as well as the sense of priorities and discipline that we are trying to develop in our students. Parents are advised of each year’s calendar dates early in the previous year, and should plan family travel within this framework.

In unavoidable situations where additional holiday time is necessary, the parents must inform the school in writing well before the projected absences. Please note that teachers are not required to provide homework during unexcused absences.