Overview
Regular attendance is essential for academic success—being present and participating in class directly impacts learning and grades. Student attendance is mandatory.
The GHHS Attendance Policy includes academic and behavioral incentives for consistent attendance. Excessive unexcused absences may result in loss of privileges, including parking, off-campus lunch, and the ability to submit classwork.
GHHS Absence Note
Excused Absences
To have an absence excused, students must submit a GHHS Absence Note within 2 days of returning to school. For medical or dental absences, attach a doctor’s note to the absence form and submit it to the Attendance Office.
Excused absences include:
Illness or injury
Death in the family
Medical or dental appointments
Court appearances
Religious observances
Natural disasters
Approved educational opportunities
Educational Opportunity Absences
Use the Request for Excused Absence for Educational Reasons form for planned absences. The experience must be of comparable value to classroom instruction and must be approved by the principal before the absence.
Unexcused Absences & Tardies
Students who arrive late without a note or a parent/guardian to sign them in must report directly to class and will be marked unexcused.
Carpool delays are not an excused reason for tardiness. Students have 2 days to submit a note to excuse the tardy.
Late Check-In
Students returning from appointments must sign in at the Attendance Office to be marked present. Please provide a doctor’s note if applicable.
Early Checkout Procedures
Without a note:
Press the button at the main door and inform the front office of the early checkout.
The student must report to the Attendance Office to complete the sign-out process.
A parent/guardian must complete the online checkout and show a valid ID.
With a note:
Students may bring a parent-signed note with a phone number to the Attendance Office between 7:00–7:20 AM.
The office will verify the note by calling the parent/guardian.
Once verified, the student receives a pass for dismissal at the requested time.
Students must check out at the Attendance Office. All students must be signed out—regardless of age.
Juniors/Seniors with Parking Passes:
May sign themselves out only with advance documentation (parent note or medical note).
Students leaving during lunch must check out through the Attendance Office and bring documentation before 1st period.
All students must sign back in after appointments to avoid being marked absent.
Credit for Attendance
To be counted present, students must attend at least half the class. Students with excused absences are responsible for making up missed work within the teacher’s designated time frame.
Phones & Messages
After-school phone use is allowed with teacher supervision.
All sign-out calls must be made from the Attendance Office with staff permission.
No personal messages will be delivered during class unless there’s an emergency. Office staff will determine the urgency and likely wait until the end of class to deliver.
Tardy Policy
We are committed to maximizing instructional time. Students are expected to be in class on time and stay for the full period. Excessive tardies will result in assigned work time to make up for missed learning.
Outside the classroom when the bell rings = tardy, even if belongings are inside classroom
Arriving to any class after the bell rings = tardy
More than 10 minutes late without a valid note = skipping class
Late During Morning Arrival:
Between 7:25–7:35 → go straight to class
After 7:35 → check in at Attendance Office
Excused Tardies
Accepted reasons include:
✅ Illness or medical appointments (with a note)
✅ Court appearances
✅ Funeral or religious observances
✅ Bus delays or other school transportation issues
✅ Other reasons listed in Board Policy 4400
Bring documentation within two school days.
Carpool traffic or oversleeping is not excused.
Tardy accumulate over the entire semester. Tardies are tracked per class period.
Level
# of Tardies
Possible Consequences
1- 3 Teacher-assigned working lunch
2- 4–6 After-school work session, lunch detention, loss of off-campus lunch pass
3- 7–8 Half-day Falcon Center, lunch detention, parking or lunch pass suspension
4- 9+Full-day Falcon Center, lunch detention, parking/lunch pass revocation
After 2 unexcused tardies in a class, teachers will contact families.