Attendance Procedures

Attendance Procedures

It is the responsibility of the students, with the support of their parents, to attend and be on time for all their classes.

Attendance Reporting Procedures:

Please report student absences (including late arrival or an early dismissal) by email: seycove@sd44.ca
or CALLBACK LINE:  604.903.3673. 

Guidelines for Reporting Absences:
•    You may report an absence anytime that day up to 3:00 p.m., in advance of a future date, or within 2 weeks of a previous date that was missed.
•    Only emails and calls from parents and legal guardians are accepted.
Format for Reporting an Absence:
•    Last Name of Student  (please spell slowly and clearly)
•    First Name of Student
•    Grade
•    Date of Absence 
•    The time the student will be absent. For example "1st class of the day", "last class of the day", "all day"
•    Reason: Excused, Appointment, Illness, Vacation etc. 
•    NOTE:   We cannot record "may be in later" "will be in if he/she feels better".

Whenever possible, when a student is away they are expected to send teams messages to their teachers letting them know they are away and asking what they may work on at home. When the student is next at school they are expected to attend the next tutorial sessions with teachers to catch up on work or make up missed learning opportunities.

What to do if you receive a phone call:

If your child says they were in class, they must speak with the teacher who marked them away. 
Only the classroom teacher can verify and change the attendance. 
The automated call system refers to "PERIODS OF THE DAY" (1 thru 8) so you must look at your student’s timetable to determine which missed class ("BLOCK") the call is for. IF you receive a phone call regarding any Period other than 1 thru 8, it is referring to a class that is outside of the regular timetable (ie, lunch or before/after school) which could be band, choir or an Academy.  

Leaving the school once classes have begun: 

If a student is leaving the school for any reason, parental permission is required and they must sign out at the office. This is extremely important in case of an emergency.
Student Extended Absences for non-medical reasons:
Some families may choose to vacation while school is in session, Seycove reminds families that absences will have a significant impact on student learning. Please see our Code of Conduct Page.
•    The school does not give approval for or recommend such absences.
•    The responsibility for the decision to take a student out of school and the resulting consequences rest with the student and the parent.
•    The school and teaching staff are not expected to make special arrangements for students to make up missed work, learning, or assessments.
•    The parent/guardian must communicate any extended absences to the school – in addition to completing the Student planned absence form
While the school does not give approval for such absences, it is still necessary to communicate to the school and teachers about any planned absences. 

Thank you for your cooperation!
 
Attendance Matters!

Attendance Expectations

Student attendance is the shared responsibility of parents, students and staff.  Parents/guardians have the responsibility to ensure their child's attendance at school and to communicate with the school regarding their child's absences or tardiness. 

Students are expected to report to classes on time - prepared to work and to participate. Regular attendance is essential for success in school. When students are away from school, we ask parents to notify the school by telephone or e-mail. When unexplained absences occur the school contacts the parents daily by telephone and e-mail through our synervoice system. Please ensure current e-mail addresses are on file at the school. Regardless of the reason for absence, it is the student's responsibility to catch up on missed work.

Being on Time

Students arriving late to class create an unnecessary disruption which affects the learning of all students in the classroom. Students who are late for class MUST report to the classroom immediately, knock on the classroom door, and wait for the teacher to admit them. A note explaining the student's lateness may be required. Students are responsible for all work missed. Habitual lateness will be dealt with in the same manner as absenteeism.

Why is attendance so important? See Attendance Matters at:

http://www.sd44.ca/school/seycove/About/attendanceprocedures/Documents/AttendanceMatters.pdf

Chronic Lateness and Absenteeism

Students absent from classes without a valid reason will be subject to progressive disciplinary steps. Excessive absences or lateness may lead to school support plan that includes the following actions:

• An inquiry from a teacher; required attendance during tutorial time; a phone call home; an interim report sent home.
• A meeting with the grade counsellor and/or the grade administrator.
• A meeting with parent/guardian and the grade counsellor and/or administrator.
• A School Based Resource Team and District Resource Team Referral and alternate educational placements may be found.
  
  

Extended Absences/Vacations During School Time 

Some families may choose to vacation while school is in session, Seycove reminds families that absences will have a significant impact on student learning.