Attendance Policy and Procedures

The Board sets out as the responsibility of each student 'to be in attendance at all classes and scheduled activities on time and with the proper materials required for full participation'. 

Regular and punctual attendance for all classes and scheduled activities is the expectation of every student and it is vital to the process of learning.  Evaluation is made daily therefore, the more regularly you attend, the greater the opportunity for success.

RATIONALE

For a number of reasons, students will miss time from regular classes.  The Ontario Ministry of Education requires a student receive 110 hours of instruction in order to earn a secondary school credit.  According to the OSS document, the Principal of a secondary school has the right to set limitations on classes missed before granting a secondary school credit.

With this in mind, the staff of St. Martin Secondary School has formulated a policy to ensure that students who have missed 10 or more hours in any course will be afforded the opportunity to gain a credit by virtue of an assignment package that will compensate for the time missed from the course.  The assignment package must reflect the amount of course material missed by the student.

Student Absences

Parent/Guardian Responsibilites

• Notify the Attendance Office by 9:30 a.m. on the day of the absence.
• Provide the student's name, grade and reason for the absence.
• Provide a parental/guidance signed and dated note confirming the absence (duration and reason) on the day of the student's return to school.

Student Responsibilities

• When a student returns to school after an absence, the student is required to provide the parental/guardian note to the Attendance Office BEFORE school begins. 
• Students who do not have a Period 1 class are required to provide the parent/guardian note to the Attendance Office prior to their first class of the day. 
• At that time, a student receives an admit slip which must be shown to each one of his/her Teachers.

Holiday/Extended Absence Policy & Procedure

A prolonged absence may result in one's participation in the evaluation and achievement process not be fully assessed.  This may result in a credit not being granted.

On occasion, parents choose to remove their son/daughter or student themselves choose to leave school for an extended time outside of the regular scheduled school breaks.  Questions may arise as to the responsibility for missed work and evaluation during this time period. 

St. Martin's policy for this is as follows:

Process for Extended Absence

A student is COMPLETELY responsible for advising the appropriate Vice-Principal and each of his/her Teachers in writing (with a parental/guardian signature) of the dates of his/her departure and return to school, at least two weeks before departing.

Student must obtain a Holiday/Extended Absence Form from the Guidance Office.  This form must be signed by all of the student's course teachers and returned to appropriate Vice-Principal.  Once approved, the form will then be filed in the attendance office.

Student Responsibility

A student is completely responsible for any missed work, handouts, notes and assignments.

Adverse Effects

A student's mark will be adversely affected by a prolonged absence in a performance-based course where daily participation carries substantial weight.

Student Lates

Period 1

Students are to admitted to class by their Period 1 Teacher until 9:00am.  The Teacher will record all lates and consequences on student profile sheets.  Students who arrive AFTER 9:00am MUST SIGN IN at the Attendance Office before going to class.

Periods 2,3,4

Any student arriving to their Period 2,3 or 4 class after the second bell, is LATE.  Your Teacher will record all lates and consquences on the student's profile sheets.

Students must present a signed note from parent/guardian stating the date, time and reason for leaving school to the Attendance Office prior to the start of the school day.

Students who do not have a Period 1 class are required to provide the parental/guardian note to the Attendance Office prior to their first class of the day.  Parent contact (verbal or written) must be made before a student may receive a Release Slip.  This slip acts as the admit slip upon return to school.

Students must leave the school premises promptly at the time indicated on their sign out.  If a student leaves school without signing out, the absence will be considered as a truant class.

Students who become ill during the day are required to report to the Attendance Office.  These students will be allowed to sign out only after parental/guardian permission has been received.

Leaving the school without signing out through the office is recorded as a truant class.

Students who take ill while at home for lunch or spare must arrange to have a parent/guardian call the school before the end of Period 4.

Students who have attained 18 years of age may sign their own notes for absences or sign outs as long as they have a valid reason.  The specific letter that needs to be signed for this privilege may be obtained through the Attendance Office.

The same procedures for absences and sign outs apply to students who are 18 years old or over ie. submit absence and sign out notes to the attendance office before your first class.

The school Administration reserves the right to ask at any time for proof of valid reason.