ATTENDANCE
Regular school attendance is the responsibility of the student and parent/guardian. The administration and staff of the Owen J. Roberts High School recognize that there is a positive correlation between attendance in school and achievement in class.
Reporting Absences
Parents/Guardians must notify the school of their child’s absence by telephone, electronic format or written format by the start of the school day. The telephone procedures are as follows:
● The evening before or the morning of the absence and no later than 7:30 AM the parent/guardian should call the Attendance Office at (610) 469-5688.
● The parent/guardian should also call the above number if your child will be arriving late to school. (Note the regulation limiting the number of times parental calls will be considered an excused late.) ● The system will direct the call to the appropriate building.
● At the tone please state the student’s full name, reason for the absence or tardiness, who is calling in the absence or tardiness, relationship to the student, and a number where you can be reached.
● If the student is absent for more than one day, the parent/guardian should call the attendance line for each subsequent day. Failure to call or provide a written note may result in an unexcused absence.
In cases where the student is absent and no other notification has been provided, the school will notify the parent at home or place of work and, if necessary, leave a message.
*NO student, regardless of age is allowed to call himself/herself out absent/tardy.
Excused Absences: (Policy # 204)
In accordance with school code: 1327, 1329, 24 P.S. 13-1329, 1330 Sections: 11,23,11,25 upon receipt of satisfactory evidence of mental or physical illness, death of a family member or friend, family emergency, court appearance, or other urgent reasons approved by the building principal may excuse a student for a temporary period.
An excuse from the parent, guardian or emancipated minor student, acceptable to the building principal, is required in case of such absence. The excuse may be provided by telephone (as confirmed by the school Attendance Office) 610-469-5688, electronic, or written format. At any point, administration may require written excuse cards for any student not following procedures listed above.
Such reasons as “missing the bus”, “car problems”, “personal”, or “oversleeping”, are classified as unexcused absences.
Any student who is absent in excess of three consecutive days is required to present a physician’s excuse to validate the absences. Failure to meet this requirement will result in the absences being classified as unexcused and or illegal.
Unexcused/Unlawful Absence
An unexcused absence occurs when an acceptable excuse by way of telephone (as confirmed by the school Attendance Office) 610-469-5688, electronic or written format is not received by the Attendance Office within three days of the absence.
An unexcused absence becomes an unlawful absence for all students of compulsory age (between 8 and 18 years). A student who does not return to school shall be carried on the active role for a maximum of ten (10) days. After the parents have been notified by the school district, the child will be withdrawn from the rolls of the district.
Failure to report absences within three days of the absence will warrant the following disciplinary actions:
● First offense: In-School Suspension for the unexcused / illegal absence and parent contact
● Second offense: In-School Suspension for the unexcused / illegal absence and parent contact
● Third offense: In-School Suspension for the unexcused / illegal absence and parent contact. A zero for the day in the classes not attended. Parents of students of compulsory school age will receive a letter of first notice which indicates the next unexcused absence will warrant the initiation of legal proceedings.
● Fourth and all subsequent offenses: ISS or OSS at administrator’s discretion /parent contact. Parents and students of compulsory school age are subject to legal actions and loss of student parking privileges.
Academic Assignments Missed Due to Absence
Students who miss work due to verified excused absence, approved non-school sponsored travel, district-sponsored activities, or disciplinary actions shall be given the opportunity to make up all missed work within a reasonable time following the absence. Typically, this is one day for each day missed. It is solely the student's responsibility to contact the teacher for missed assignments, notes, tests, etc., and to complete the work within the time prescribed by the teacher.
Any major assignments or tests that were due the day a student is out will be due the day the student returns unless the teacher has stipulated differently for a particular assignment or exam.
Cumulative Absences
After an accumulation of ten (10) days of excused absence per year, (excused through the proper notification by the parent/guardian) a physician’s excuse will be required for any subsequent absences. In lieu of such documentation, subsequent absences will be unlawful / unexcused.
Absences verified by a doctors’ note, funerals, college visitations, and non-school sponsored travel will not be included in the ten (10) day limit after which a physician’s excuse will be required. Other exceptions: extenuating circumstances as determined by an administrator.
Parents are encouraged to check Skyward regularly for student attendance records.
NOTE: When a student accumulates twenty five (25) days absence, excused or unexcused, his/her attendance will be reviewed by the administration. This review will determine whether the student will be permitted to participate in school activities/sports programs, and/or lose privileges such as prom, parking permits or AM/PM Privilege.
Late To School
Students and parents are encouraged to recognize the importance of being punctual and support the necessity to report to school on time each day. A warning bell is sounded at 7:55 a.m. to assist students in getting to first period class on time.
All students are required to report to first period by 8:00 a.m. daily.
Parents are encouraged to check Skyward regularly for student attendance records. Students arriving late to school must enter through the front of the building and report directly to the Attendance Office and sign in. Students arriving late to class will not be permitted to enter without a pass from the Attendance Office. Unexcused lateness to school will be cumulative throughout the school year and will convert to days of illegal absence for purposes of enforcing school attendance and truancy.
Failure to report to the Attendance Office when late to school will warrant the following disciplinary actions:
● First offense: office referral for discipline action
● Second and all other offenses: office referral / Saturday Detention
A student who arrives late to school will be subject to the following disciplinary actions:
● First six (6) times late per year: Warning, no consequences
The 10th, 15th, 20th, and 25th times, etc... will result in after school detentions. If the student drives to school they will lose their parking pass for 2 weeks after the 20th late. They may lose parking privileges for longer if they are continually late to school. We will continue to assign after school detentions for every other late after that. When a student accumulates twenty five (25) days late, unexcused, his/her attendance will be reviewed by the administration. This review will determine whether the student will be permitted to participate in school activities/sports programs, and/or lose privileges such as prom, parking permits or AM/PM Privilege.
Students who do not report to school prior to the beginning of third period (9:39) may not participate in any after school athletics or other activities for that day.
Early Dismissal for Student Appointments
Students and parents are encouraged to avoid scheduling doctor and other appointments during school hours. Only five parental notes (with no other documentation) will be accepted as excused early dismissals. Any excessive use of early dismissal will be reviewed by the administration. In order to leave school for early dismissal, the following procedure must be followed:
● Bring a written request for excusal, signed by a parent/guardian, to the Attendance Office on the morning of the request.
● Parents/guardians of ninth and tenth grade students must sign them out of school
● Eighteen year-old students are not permitted to sign themselves in or out of school for any reason.
● Students with approved early dismissals are to report to the Attendance Office and sign out at the time of excusal. Failure to do so may be subject to disciplinary action.
A student who leaves early from school will be subject to the following disciplinary actions:
● First six (6) times early dismissal per year: Warning, no consequences
The 10th, 15th, 20th, and 25th times, etc... will result in after school detentions. If the student drives to school they will lose their parking pass for 2 weeks after the 20th early dismissal. They may lose parking privileges for longer if they are continually leaving school. We will continue to assign after school detentions for every other early dismissal after that. When a student accumulates twenty five (25) days early dismissals, unexcused, his/her attendance will be reviewed by the administration. This review will determine whether the student will be permitted to participate in school activities/sports programs, and/or lose privileges such as prom, parking permits or AM/PM Privilege.
Students who do not provided a Doctor's note at the end of the day or start of practice my not participate in any after school athletics or other activities for that day.
College Visitations
Students will be excused for a total of up to 5 days for college visitations. In order for these visits to be excused the student must present the Attendance Office with an official statement from the college verifying the visit on the date(s) he/she was absent. This official statement must have a contact person, telephone number, and the official school stamp when available. Any absences beyond 5 days for college visits will be unexcused unless prior approval is received from the school administration. Students and parents are strongly encouraged to notify the Attendance Office in advance of the visitations.
Non-School Sponsored Travel
As per school Board policy, parents may request their child be excused for non-school sponsored travel. Before planning and making financial commitments for travel during the school year, carefully read the following criteria under which approval may or may not be granted and restrictions associated with it.
Approval by school officials to excuse a student’s attendance for this purpose does not exonerate the student from academic responsibilities or attendance requirements established by athletic or other extracurricular programs. Parents are strongly encouraged to use this judiciously so as not to place their child in academic jeopardy, interfere with the extracurricular activities, or commitments to school organizations. Students who are failing, in danger of failing, or have excessive absences may not be approved for taking non-school sponsored travel.
Requests for non-school sponsored travel must be submitted on a Non-School Sponsored Travel Form to the attendance office no later than one week prior to the first day of absence. The form can be obtained in the Main Office, Attendance Office or online. Please know that starting with the 2023-2024 school year, we will no longer be accepting non-school sponsored travel forms during or after a trip is taken. The form must be completed and returned before your child is absent from school as part of your trip.
The following regulations apply to all non-school sponsored travel:
● There is a five-day limit to non-school sponsored travel per school year. Please note: The adjustment for maximum days of non-school sponsored travel was adjusted and adopted during the October, 2018 School Board meeting.
o Every day beyond five will be considered an unexcused absence and subject to the consequences for this offense as explained under the Unexcused/Unlawful Absence section.
o The consequences of an unexcused absence are the same as those for class cuts
1) The student will be subject to Saturday detention, ISS, or OSS as determined by administration.
2) The student will receive a zero in the class not attended for the each day of unexcused absence.
● Non-school sponsored travel will not be approved as an excused absence:
o If a students’ academic standing, attendance, or discipline record is deemed unsatisfactory by the high school administration.
o During the first 10 school days at the start of the school year,
o During the last 10 school days at the end of the school year
o During standardized testing dates (Keystone Exams, etc.).
● Teachers may, upon request, assign class work in advance for approved non-school sponsored travel. Students are required to make up all work within five days of return from non-school sponsored travel. Students are to contact each teacher to arrange for the completion of assignments following the absence.
● Parents assume full responsibility for all potential academic and/or social consequences for their children as a result of non-school sponsored travel.
● The non-school sponsored travel will be taken at no expense or liability to the School District.
● College visitations are exempt from these regulations.
● Activities such as auditions, athletic practices, etc., that determine participation in extra-curricular performances or competitions will not be re-scheduled for students taking non-school sponsored travel.
● Only the Superintendent of Schools can give approval to any exception to the above policy. Such a request must be submitted in writing.
Late To Class
It is important that students arrive on time to class. If a student is more than ten (10) minutes late to class it will be considered a class cut. The failure of a student to report to class on time will warrant the following discipline action:
● The first three times a student is late to class: Teacher detentions
● Four or more times late to class: A discipline referral and office detention.
Class Cuts
A class cut is a deliberate skipping of a particular class or being more than ten (10) minutes late to a class. It is extremely important for the successful operation of the school that students cooperate by getting to class on time and attend all of their classes. Attendance is recorded by all faculty members for every class. The failure of a student to report to a scheduled class will warrant the following disciplinary actions:
● First offense: A discipline referral. Saturday detention / a zero for the day in the class not attended
● Second offense: A discipline referral. ISS / a zero for the day in the class not attended.
● Third and all subsequent offenses: A discipline referral. ISS or OSS at the administrator’s discretion/ a zero for the day in the class not attended. If an OSS is assigned, the student will not be permitted to return to school until parents meet with the administration.
Hall Pass System
A regulation white hall pass from a teacher or staff member is required of students excused from a class or study hall for all routine errands or business such as going to the library, nurse's office, lavatory, sectional practices, getting a drink, etc. NOTE: Whether or not a student may leave the room is at the teacher’s discretion. The teacher in whose class the student belongs has the right to decide if or when the student is permitted to leave. In either case, leaving class without permission is considered insubordination.