Please remember that students need coats for recess if the temperature will be below 50 degrees. 

ATTENDANCE

Attendance Law:  Compulsory School Laws of the State of Michigan provide that every parent, guardian or other person in the State, having control and charge of any child between the ages of six and eighteen years of age, shall be required to send such child to school during the entire school year, and that this attendance shall be continuous and consecutive for the school year fixed by the district.  

Attendance Policy:  Per board policy, absence from school is excused for illnesses (principal may require a doctor’s confirmation if he/she deems it is advisable), funerals with documentation, observance of religious holidays, and court appearances (with documentation that the child was required to be in court). 

Routine dental, medical appointments, and vacation days should be arranged during non-school hours whenever possible. If it is absolutely necessary to schedule an appointment during school hours, the student must present a doctor’s note upon returning to school.  

If your child will not be in school for any reason, please notify the school of the absence before 8:30 a.m. on each day of absence. An answering machine is available 24 hours to leave messages regarding student absences. The office will be open at 7:40 a.m. for calls. If the office is not contacted regarding your child’s absence, you will receive an automated call. In case of contagious disease, please inform the school as soon as possible so that necessary health precautions may be taken.  

Arrival to school past 9:00 am is considered an absence for the morning.  A student is considered absent for the afternoon if they are picked up from school prior to 2:00 p.m.  

Please refrain from picking your child up early to beat the traffic.  Students should only be picked up early if they have an appointment or emergency situation.  Parents should try to notify the school office by noon of any school day if you plan to pick your child up early.  Last minute changes and calls at the end of the day cause confusion during dismissal. Students will not be released from the office after 2:30 p.m. After 2:30 p.m. all students will need to wait to be dismissed through regular dismissal procedures.

Truancy:  Truancy is defined by Michigan School Code as 10 or more unexcused absences from school . Truancy may result in a referral to the Berrien County Intermediate School District Truant Officer.  Chronic Absenteeism is defined as a student missing 10% or more of school regardless of excused or unexcused status.  Data shows that a 1st grade student with 9 or more absences are two times more likely to drop out of high school than their peers who attend regularly.  School attendance is so important!  

Tardies/Absences will trigger the following actions from school:

TARDIES:

• 10:  Letter home to parent(s)/guardian(s)

• 15:  Phone call home

• 20:  Meeting w/principal and school counselor to develop an attendance improvement plan

ABSENCES:

• 5:    Letter home to parent(s)/guardian(s)

• 10:  Second letter home to parent(s)/guardian(s)

• 15:  Biweekly attendance update letters will be sent home and a meeting with the principal and school counselor will be scheduled to develop an attendance improvement plan

• Any additional unexcused absences will result in a referral to the Berrien County Truancy Officer and/or Child Protective Services

Early On is Michigan's system for helping families of infants and toddlers, birth to age 3 who have developmental delay(s) and/or disabilities. Early On supports and partners with families to promote the development of their infants and toddlers in developmental areas, such as:

• physical (reaching, rolling, crawling, and walking)

• cognitive (thinking, learning, solving problems)

• communication (talking, listening, understanding, gesturing)

• social-emotional (feeling secure, able to calm, playing with others)

• self-help (eating, dressing)

Early On partners with families, using their daily routines to work on supporting the growth and development of their babies.

During the first three years of life, a baby's brain grows and changes dramatically.  Early On emphasizes early identification and early referral to minimize delays and maximize developmental outcomes. Understanding your child's development may help you recognize if your child needs a referral.  Check out the developmental milestones to learn more, and complete the referral form if you have concerns.