Regular school attendance is important to success in school. A student’s attendance in school becomes part of his/her permanent school record and is often the subject of inquiry by employers. In addition, regular school attendance is required by Wisconsin compulsory attendance statutes 118.15 and 118.16, which hold parents responsible for daily attendance of their student.
If the number of absences, whether excused or unexcused, becomes excessive, a parental conference will be requested by the counselor and/or Associate Principal to discuss the student’s academic progress.
Parents may excuse, in writing, a student for any reason PRIOR to the day of the absence. (Wis. Stats. 118.15(3)(c). If an excuse is not given prior to an absence, the school, not a student’s parent, excuses an absence. Monona Grove High School will excuse a student from school for the following reasons:
personal illness;
illness in the family for which the student is required at home;
funerals and weddings;
religious holidays;
legal obligations;
dental, medical, and orthodontic appointments;
family vacations that cannot be scheduled during non-school times or other family approved vacations or school visits with prior approval; and
an emergency situation.
Parents are required to call the school Attendance Office (316-1393) prior to 10:00 A.M. on the day of the absence. Parents should be prepared to give the name of the student, reason for the absence, and a name and phone number where he/she (the parent calling) can be reached. Students must have absences excused within 24 hours after they return, or the absences will be considered unexcused.
For appointments, parents are asked to send a note to the Attendance Office ahead of time to excuse the student prior to his/her leaving. Upon returning to school, the student is to check in with the Attendance Office. A note from the attending doctor, dentist, orthodontist, attorney/court, etc. may be required to excuse an absence/appointment. Monona Grove High School will not excuse an absence if a student leaves the building without permission.
If a student knows in advance that he/she will be absent from school, a planned absence form should be completed prior to the absence. This requires that the student notify his/her teachers of the planned absence so that school work missed during the absence can be given to the student. This must be done at least three days prior to the planned absence. Planned absence forms are available in the Attendance Office or by following the link below, and are required for absences of 3 or more days.
The school will not excuse an absence for any reason other than those listed above. When a student fails to report to the nurse or attendance secretary for a single period absence, it will not be excused. Absences related to vehicle problems during the school day will not be excused. Oversleeping will also result in an unexcused absence for the school time missed. Absences due to working on other school work will not be excused unless connected to a school-sponsored field trip. Parents will be notified of unexcused absences by phone or email. Students with unexcused absences from classes or study halls will be assigned a two-hour after school detention per period missed. Any student who has an unexcused absence for any period may not attend extra-curricular events on that day.
Monona Grove High School is a closed campus except for the following occasions: lunch, cooperative education programs, and senior open campus status. During passing times students must remain on school grounds. All students wishing to leave school must obtain permission from their parent and a school official. Students will not be allowed out of class for illness unless they are going home. At that time, the student must sign out in the Attendance Office and receive an out pass. If he/she plans to return to school, he/she must sign in upon returning. Students are not allowed to have other students drive them anywhere during the school day.
Students are expected to be in class on time all the time. On time is defined by being inside the classroom when the bell rings to start class. The first few minutes of class are crucially important as teachers preview the day's lesson, conduct bellringers or formative assessments, collect assignments, and take attendance. If a student is tardy to class without a pass or excusable reason, the following process will occur:
1st unexcused tardy in a course--Teacher holds a restorative conversation with the student about their tardiness
2nd unexcused tardy in a course and up--Teacher submits a behavior referral in Infinite Campus; student meets with a designated staff member (administration, engagement specialist, restorative justice coordinator) to work towards a solution and/or assign consequences
Forgery (the act of written or spoken misrepresentation of truth) on notes, parental signatures, telephone calls, or any other misrepresentation to school staff will result in disciplinary action.
In the event of problematic attendance (i.e., the parent or guardian does not follow the above guidelines, excessive absences of any type, or the validity of excuse), the Associate Principal will notify the parent or guardian, and a meeting will be held.
A student will be considered truant if he/she is absent for all or part of one or more days from school in which the Attendance Officer has not been notified of the legal cause of said absence. A student will be considered habitually truant if he/she has 5 instances (part days or full days) of such absences per semester. If a student meets the definition of habitually truant, the Associate Principal will contact parents and the School Resource Officer.
Homework may be requested after a student has been absent for two or more days. The request should be made to the student’s counselor. The counselor will then contact the student’s teachers and homework may be picked up in the Main Office after 3:45 P.M. of the following day. Students may also request homework from their teachers via email. Students should consult Canvas for class materials first and foremost.