The faculty and administration of Wareham High School strongly believes in the correlation between good attendance and success for our students.  Additionally, as part of the school’s mission to prepare students for the world beyond secondary school, it is appropriate for high school students to begin to take responsibility for their own behavior and choices.  This policy is designed to improve attendance and therefore improve the chances at success for all Wareham High School students.

While a student may make-up paperwork missed, he/she can rarely duplicate the learning experiences lost by that day’s absence.  Absence from a class for any reason is detrimental to students.  Since education is a cooperative effort and students gain from their interactive discussion with one another, their absences can also hinder the class.

For the purpose of this attendance policy and its record keeping, Wareham High School adheres to the Massachusetts Department of Education guidelines on attendance.  A student must be at school or at a school related activity (e.g. field trip) for at least half the school day to be counted as present.  For purposes of this policy and meeting the guidelines set by the state, there is no differentiation between excused and unexcused absences.    

Nothing in this policy should be interpreted to mean that students are “allowed” or “entitled” to miss school/class.  Maximums are exactly that, maximum allowable absences in a given student’s circumstances.  Perfect attendance should be the goal for all students.

Daily Attendance

Daily attendance shall be taken in homeroom.  A student who fails to report to their first block period is recorded as absent for the day.  A student who reports to school but fails to report to homeroom or the office for a tardy will receive an office detention.

Absence From School

On any day a student is absent from school a parent/guardian must phone the school at 508.291.3510 ext. 311 by 8:00 to report the student as absent.  Any student who is absent without this phone call will be considered truant.

Within two (2) days of returning to school after an absence, a student shall present to the homeroom teacher a note of explanation signed by a parent/guardian (and/or a doctor if appropriate) stating the reason for the absence, the date(s) of the absence and a phone number where the parent/guardian can be contacted.  This note shall be forwarded to the Attendance Office and kept on file.  Only documentation submitted in this manner shall be allowed for the appeals process should a student be in jeopardy of receiving a Credit Pending (CP) or No Credit (NC) for a course.

Prolonged Absence

If for a medical or other valid reason a student is absent from school for an extended period (three or more days), the parent/guardian shall contact the Attendance Office 508.291.3510 ext. 708.  (Extended absences for medical reasons may require home tutoring and this service is available if the school warrants it.)  Upon return to school after a prolonged illness, the student shall bring a doctor’s note verifying such absences to the Attendance Office.  These notes will be kept on file for possible appeals to the Attendance Review Committee.   Requests for homework should be called in before classes start in the morning, and picked up after classes end in the afternoon.

Truancy

Students absent from school without the consent of a parent/guardian will be considered truant.  Students classified as truant will not be allowed to make-up work missed and will receive a zero (0) for class work missed.   In addition, they will be required to serve one after-school session per class missed.  (One day truant equals five (5) after-school sessions.)  The parent/guardian will be notified by principal or designee. 

Field Trips/School Functions/College Visitations/Sports Dimissals

Students may be excused from strict adherence to this attendance policy for some special school-sponsored programs, (e.g. college visit) approved by the principal.  However, the intention of the grading/attendance policy is to limit the number of classes missed in a subject.  It is the responsibility of the student to see that the combination of different circumstances does not exceed the number of days set forth in this policy.

• Students will be responsible for keeping up with any work missed while they are on a school-related trip.  On the day following such a trip, students shall take any previously announced tests.
• Students planning on an absence for a college visitation are to bring a parental note to his/her guidance counselor forty-eight (48) hours before the absence.  The counselor will issue the student a college visitation notice which the student will show to each of his/her teachers in order to be eligible to receive advance assignments.  The student is responsible for turning in the parental note and the counselor slip to the attendance office prior to the absence.  Students may not make more than three college visits during school time unless pre-approved by the principal or his designee.
• All missed classes must be approved by the teacher one day prior to missing said class covered in this section.  Forms will be obtained from the advisor of the school function by the student.

Credit Pending/No Credit Policy

A student absent from four or more classes in a marking period (exclusive of approved school activities) will receive Credit Pending (CP) for that marking period. The grade of CP (Credit Pending) shall be issued on a class by class basis. 

• During fourth quarter, seniors will be limited to three absences. 
• The grade CP (Credit Pending) will appear on the report card in lieu of a letter grade. 
• A student absent from any class for more than 14 days for the school year will receive No Credit (NC) for that course. For semester long courses, absences may not exceed seven days. 

• Parents/guardians will be notified before the close of each term if a student is in danger of receiving Credit Pending (CP) or No Credit (NC).

• Students who receive a mark of CP for any given marking period but do not exceed 14 absences for the year (or seven for a semester course) will have their letter grade restored to the grade they earned during that term.

Credit Retrieval

Options for credit retrieval should be discussed with the Dean of Students (or designee) to determine the best resolution for the student.  All credit retrieval must be approved by the principal (or designee) prior to implementation.  A student, who receives No Credit (NC) in a course, may elect to retrieve those credits by one of the following means. 

• Repeat the same course if the grade received is significantly low.
• Take another course during the school year or subsequent year to make-up the lost credit.
• Attend summer school or night school to receive promotional credits or to pass a required course.
• Attend after school, Saturday school, or before school sessions, as available.
• Other methods may be determined at the discretion of the principal (or designee).

Appeals Process

An appeals process and an Attendance Review Committee to appeal the designation of Credit Pending (CP) or No Credit (NC) will be established.  The committee will consist of an administrator (the principal or designee), the school nurse, teachers and students; the committee will meet quarterly and hear appeals on an individual basis.

A request for an appeal must be made in writing to the Attendance Office within five (5) school days of the issuance of the report card.  Only documentation submitted within two (2) school days of any absence will be allowed for consideration in the appeals process. 

Planned Absences/Vacations

The Wareham Public School System develops a school calendar that includes student vacation periods in December, February, April, and during the summer.  Students and parents/guardians are urged to consider seriously the importance of a good record of attendance.  Aside from the difficulty of make-up requirements, it is detrimental to a student when he/she is not present for comprehensive and sequenced presentations, for carefully planned experiences designed for students, and for the benefit of the teacher-to-pupil and pupil-to-pupil interactions that take place daily in each classroom.  This is the essence of the learning process which can never be completely duplicated through the assignment of classwork before an absence or the make-up after an absence. 

Vacation trips with parents/guardians at times when school is in session are strongly discouraged because the continuity of the student’s educational program is disrupted.  Make-up of exams is not allowed for students who are absent for vacations during mid-term and final exam weeks.  Teachers shall not be required to provide work for any student prior to planned absences.

Perfect Attendance

A student shall be considered to have perfect attendance if he/she has not missed any days in a school year other than for school related activities and has no more than one tardy.

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