Attendance Policies
STUDENT ATTENDANCEDaily attendance is essential to maintaining good scholastic standing. Students are required by law to be in attendance at school. ABSENCEEach absence must be reported to the attendance line: 610-359-4200 ext. 7474. The attendance line is available 24 hours a day. Calls should be placed before 9:30 a.m. on the day of the absence. The message on the line will prompt you to leave the student’s name, classroom teacher, reason for absence, and the expected date of return if known. Excused AbsencesAn absent student must be called out for each day of absence from school. This helps to ensure the safety of your children. All absences require that a written excuse be submitted to the school within three (3) days of the student’s return to school. If a written excuse is not submitted to the office within that time period, the absence is recorded as unexcused and is deemed by district policy and Commonwealth regulations to be an illegal absence. A written excuse documenting an absence is required under the Commonwealth’s compulsory attendance laws. A written excuse must contain the following information: (1) name of the student; (2) student grade level; (3) the date(s) of the absence; (4) the reason for the absence. The school district provides excuse forms, but you may use any paper to write the excuse. We are able to accept excuse notes sent via e-mail at woattendance@mnsd.org
Unexcused/ Unlawful AbsencesIn cases where a student has accumulated ten (10) or more days of absence, parents/guardians will be notified that future absences will require an excuse signed by a health care professional treating the student. Only 10 days will be excused with a parent note per year. After 10 days, a doctor, court, or educational visit note is required. Unlawful AbsencesWhen a student accumulates a third unlawful absence, the state law requires that we send a document “Official Notice of Child’s Unlawful Absence” explaining that future unlawful absences could result in a petition to the local District Justice. Included in the Official Notice will be an invitation to a School Attendance Improvement Conference. A School Attendance Improvement Plan will be created during this conference. LATENESSStudents who are not in their classrooms at the time specified below are considered late: Worrall 8:50 a.m. Any child arriving at school after his/her school’s specified time must report to the school office with an excuse note before proceeding to class. Elementary students must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. The number of instructional minutes missed daily due to chronic unexcused lateness will be totaled and will result in unexcused 23 absence for a child. This is determined by converting the number of minutes late into a percentage or part of the school day missed. EARLY DISMISSAL OF STUDENTS
PARENTAL REQUEST FOR STUDENT EXCUSED ABSENCEPre-Planned Educational Tour or TripThe Marple Newtown School District strongly discourages student absence from school except when illness or other urgent reasons prevent the child from attending. School district officials are aware that it is not always possible to schedule family trips and vacations while school is not in session. In keeping with our guiding philosophy, but also recognizing the importance of the family unit, the school district will authorize educational tours or trips up to a maximum of five (5) school days per student per year. The following provisions must be met for approval of an educational tour/trip:
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