Absences, Early Dismissal, and Assignment Guidelines

Absences

Please fill out and submit this Absent Today Form as soon as you know that your child will be absent from school (email is the preferred and easiest method). Or, you may call our Attendance Line instead at 651-252-6710 and record the requested information. 

Types of Absences

There are two types of absences:  excused and unexcused.  

Excused absences:

• Illness of a student.  A parent or guardian must verify the student’s illness.  If school personnel determine the illness absences are excessive, Minnesota law permits the school to require the family to provide medical verification or to see the school nurse.

• Religious observances required by the student’s religion.

• Extreme family emergency (e.g. house fire, critical injury to parent/guardian, funeral of a close family member).

• Medical appointments that cannot be scheduled outside of school hours.

All other non-pre-arranged absences are considered unexcused. 

Pre-arranged Absences (Excused)

Family reunions, vacations, and camps are considered unexcused absences, unless given principal approval in advance, using the Pre-Arranged Absence Form, linked below.  Families should schedule vacations during breaks from school. Under Minnesota law, school administration has the right to determine the validity of any request for an excused absence.

To request a prearranged absence, complete this form at MINIMUM 1 WEEK PRIOR to the absence.

If a student will miss school for an extended period of time, a Pre-Arranged Absence form must be completed. In addition, the absence needs to be discussed with the student’s teachers. It is the student’s responsibility to communicate with teachers and arrange to make up work missed due to any absence. Failure to do so may result in the student not receiving credit for the makeup work.

Early Dismissal

• If your student needs to leave early, please send a note with them to school.  This helps minimize disruptions to classrooms. If you forget to send a note or if leaving early is unplanned, please call the office to release your student.

• For students who are transported by an adult to school: Students who need to leave school early must report to the front office. The adult picking up should call the office prior to arrival or when outside the building. The student will be called down/and or released when the parent is outside the building. 

• If returning, please call the office upon return and have the student check-in at the front desk.

• For students who transport themselves to school: Parents/Guardians must call the front office and give permission, before students may sign out and be dismissed.

Closed Campus

Students may not leave the school building after they arrive until the end of the school day. Exceptions to this include students who have parent/guardian permission and have signed out in the front office.

Family Emergencies

In the event of a family emergency, please contact the front office at 651-464-8989. 

Emergency messages will be delivered to students immediately in a safe and confidential matter.  We ask that parents do not text or call students directly during class time. Phones are a distraction to the person receiving the message or call, and to those around them. 

Absences and Assignments

• Students can view the missed assignments  in Google Classroom and/or Infinite Campus. They may also email the teachers.

• For field trips, discipline-related suspensions, and unexcused absences, assigned due dates still apply. It is the student’s responsibility to obtain the work assigned.

• Vacations/Trips - A plan must be established with teachers prior to the trip, and any work missed during the absence should be completed promptly. To repeat, to be excused, vacations/trips must be pre-approved by the school principal, using the Pre-Arranged Absence Form above.