Aloha Colleagues!
I am currently revising our parent/student handbook. Joy. . .
When a student has an unexcused absence, do your teachers still assist the student and allow make-up of tests and work or does the student automatically receive a O for the day?
When a student has a free period, do you require them to sign in and designate where they are on campus?
When you revise your handbooks, do you solicit input from the faculty or do the administrators make all of the decisions?
Sleeping less in Hawaii,
Ann
Our School Websites:
- Abington Friends School, Jenkintown, PA
- Campbell Hall, North Hollywood, CA
- Casady School, Oklahoma City, OK
- Episcopal Shool of Acadiana, Cade, LA
- Flint Hill School, Oakton, VA
- Friends Select School, Philadelphia, PA
- Hackley School, Tarrytown, NY
- Kehillah Jewish High School, Palo Alto, CA
- Louise S. McGehee School, New Orleans, LA
- Louisville Collegiate School, Louisville, KY
- Miami Country Day School
- National Cathedral School, Washinton, D.C.
- Salisbury School, Salisbury, MD
- St. Andrew's Priory School, Honolulu, HI
- St. Martin's Episcopal, New Orleans, LA
- The O'Neal School, Southern Pines, NC
- The Pingry School, Martinsville, NJ
- Trevor Day School, NY, NY
2 comments:
Hi Ann
Funny that you should bring up the excused/unexcused absence question, which was one that came up today in our faculty meeting. We ask that the students fill out a planned absence form, which is an outdated triplicate form with sections for each class. The faculty member has to sign off under their appropriate discipline and indicate what classwork and homework the student will be responsible for. I have a sneaking suspicion that, although there is a policy regarding excused and unexcused absences, the students and parents think that the planned absence form automatically means that the absence is excused. So, we have a policy, which has not always been followed, so it might as well be useless. This policy is something that I plan to address with students, especially Seniors, and parents this year.
Good luck with the handbook revision. I made minor revisions for this year, with input from the Dean of Students and my assistant. I plan ask general questions of the faculty and from those questions can generally get an idea of what they're thinking about a particular subject. This might be something you can do throughout the year (if it can wait) just to get a handle of some of the things that the faculty thinks need to be changed--which might be completely different from the things that you're focused on.
We don't require students to sign in and out during free periods, but we do ask them to sign in/out after the school day is over and to indicate where on campus they will be in the event a parent is unable to locate them.
Maybe some of this rambling will be helpful.
jolayne
Hi Ann,
1) At my old school students were required to complete all work and assessments prior to a planned absence (excused or unexcused). If a student missed an assessment due to an unexcused absence, they must complete the assessment by the end of the day that they return or receive academic sanctions. If a student arrived to school after an assessment or assignment was due in a class, the student had to complete the assessment and/or turn in the missing assignment that day. If s/he did not, they could receive a 0 or receive a late penalty for the assignment. The biggest concern is the student who has "strategic absences." (2) Only seniors with off campus privileges are required to sign in/out of the building and specify their whereabouts. (3) Sections of the handbook are assigned to the individuals responsible for a particular area of content. The changes are just reviewed with the faculty.
Peace to you, Denise
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