School attendance: a partnership between parents, school

This is the second in a series of articles to share information on issues of importance to parents and other members of the Fort High community.
Today’s topic is school attendance, and is designed to provide some important information for parents about Fort High’s attendance procedure.
School attendance is a vital part of academic success and for the vast majority of students, it is never a major issue. Every year, however, a small group of students fall into a pattern of missing classes.
To be sure your child does not become a “skipper,” a few simple procedures are necessary.
If your child is absent for any legitimate reason, it is vital that parents take the time to inform the school. There are many reasons for legitimate absence. Illness, family emergency, out-of-town travel, or participation in sports or community events such as hockey tournaments are all reasonable cause for absence as long as they do not become excessive.
It is crucial, however, that the school is made aware of the reason for absence of any child by the custodial parent or guardian.
There are two ways to inform the school. The easiest is probably a phone call to the school at 274-7747 between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. on the day of the absence (or beforehand if you know in advance).
The other method is to send a note with them upon their return to school, providing details of the dates of absence and the reason they were absent.
When students return to school, they are required to report to the main office before the start of the school day to obtain a piece of paper, called an “admit slip,” to return to class. This slip is issued by the main office based on the information provided by parents.
If no information has been provided, the student is considered truant and consequences are assigned for that truancy.
Sometimes students fall ill during the day and need to go home early. It is important in these situations that we have a contact number where a parent can be reached. Students are expected to provide this information upon registration each fall but sometimes it changes.
If you have moved during the school year, changed jobs, or simply feel the information the school may have in its records is incorrect for any reason, please contact the school at any time to update them.
Situations also arise where students have to leave school for other reasons during the day, such as medical appointments, hockey tournaments, etc. While the school discourages the scheduling of such appointments during school time, it is also understood that there are situations when this cannot be avoided.
Again, however, it is imperative the school be made aware of what is happening. If you are picking your child up from school at any time during the day which result in the student missing class, please telephone the school or come in to the main office and let the secretarial staff know.
Parents of older students should be aware that once students turn 18, they are legally adults and school attendance becomes their responsibility. Fort High is unable to release attendance information regarding a student over 18 to his/her parent or guardian without written authorization from the student.
For all other students, however, the parent has a right to full access to attendance information. While the staff at Fort High do their best to contact parents whenever unauthorized absences occur, it must be understood that with more than 1,000 students and one attendance secretary, there are times when this may not be possible.
By following the simple procedure of letting the school know any time a student is absent for any reason, parents can go a long way in helping their child achieve academic success.
When children know their parents care about their attendance in school, and take an active role in monitoring that attendance, they are much more likely to take that attendance seriously themselves.
If you have any concerns about your child’s attendance, or would like clarification on anything you have read in this article, feel free to call me. I will be happy to review Fort High’s attendance procedure with you.