Attendance Hotline: (815) 439-4810 

Absence Calls - When a student is absent, a call should be made by the student's parent or guardian to the school office to report the absence and the reason. Calls to report absences should be made between 7:15 and 9:00 a.m. Calls may be made before 7:15 a.m. to our automated attendance line at 439-4810 ext. 3000. If an absence has not been reported by 9:00 a.m., the school is required by state law to make a reasonable effort to contact the absent student's parent or guardian to provide notification that the child is not in school. This reasonable effort to contact the parent will consist of phone calls to the parent's home and work.

Absence Notes - If a parent or guardian does not report a student's absence, and they cannot be reached by the school office, the student must present a written excuse upon his/her return to school. This written excuse must contain the name of the student, date(s) the student was not in school, and specific reason(s) for the absence. It must also be signed and dated by the parent or guardian. This note needs to be turned into the attendance office before homeroom. In addition, if a student is absent for five or more consecutive school days due to illness, a signed doctor's note/form outlining the illness and approving the student's return to school must be presented to the attendance office before the student will be readmitted to class. It is important to remember that if an absence has been discussed with the school office, in person, or by phone, and does not involve an absence of more than five consecutive school days, a written excuse is not required to readmit the student.

Doctor/Dental Appointments - We encourage all of our students' parents to arrange doctor and dental appointments after school hours or on weekends. We realize, however, that family work schedules and the schedules and workloads of many health care professionals makes this impossible. When medical or dental appointments are necessary during school time, we ask that a note be sent to the attendance office and teachers involved the day before to notify us of the appointment. We also require that the student be signed in and/or out in the attendance office by the person(s) picking up or dropping off the student at school.

Vacations/Family Trips - We stress the idea that all of our students need to be at school each day and cannot afford to miss school for extended periods of time. We also realize, however, that some of our students' parents have little or no control over their employers' vacation policies and that important family events may occasionally occur during the school year. While we strongly encourage parents to plan trips and vacations to coincide with school holidays and breaks, there are provisions for students to receive credit for make-up work if family trips occur during school time. When a vacation or family trip must be taken during school time, a note concerning the trip should be sent to the attendance office at least one week in advance. This will allow students time to have teachers complete a prearranged absence form. This form outlines current progress and work that may be missed. Each teacher will use his/her discretion to determine whether the make-up work for his/her class will be:

• Sent with the student on the trip and due the day that the student
returns to school.
• Assigned before the student leaves to be completed upon his/her return.
• Assigned when the student returns to school.

It is the parent's responsibility to see that work is completed while students are absent from school for vacation or trips. Parents are strongly advised to confer with their child's teachers prior to the trip to discuss the effect of an extended trip on their child's learning. If the assigned work is not completed, credit cannot be given for the days missed by the student.

Unexcused Absences - Our middle school will follow the examples set forth by the State of Illinois in reference to excused/unexcused absences. Therefore, illness, observance of a religious holiday, death in the family, and family emergency will constitute reasons for excused absences, once the attendance office has discussed the absence with the parent or guardian and/or received the required written excuse or doctor's note. Absences due to family trips and vacations will also be considered unexcused absences. Absences from school will be considered unexcused for the following reasons:

• Oversleeping
• Missing the bus
• Truancy
• Car Problems
• Absences not discussed with the school office or covered by a
written excuse from a or doctor's note
• Special circumstances as determined by the school administration

Make-up work will be required for all unexcused absences. Credit reductions may occur on make-up work resulting from unexcused absences from school.

Truancy - Students absent from school without their parent's knowledge, those who demonstrate patterns of unexcused absence, and those who are chronically tardy will be considered truant. The school staff will, in cooperation with the Education Service Network (Attendance Assistance Program), Will County Truant Officer, Will County Juvenile Probation authorities, Plainfield and Will County Sheriffs Police and Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), work to provide the support services and legal intervention necessary to help truant students develop and maintain regular attendance at school.

Make-up Work - A student has one day for each day absent in which to make up work. Parents may request homework after the student has been absent two or more days by:

• Calling the school office (439-4810). We ask that this call be
made before 10:00 a.m. to allow time to collect the work
from all the teachers involved.
• Leaving a message on the attendance line before 10:00 a.m.
(439-4810 ext. 3000).
• Giving the name and grade level of the student.
• Giving the nature and expected length of the absence.
• Arranging that the work is picked up in the office after 2:45 p.m.
• Identifying the person who will pick up the work.

Signing In or Out - To insure our students' safety it is extremely important that we can account for their attendance throughout the school day. We require that students who are tardy to school or need to leave school before the end of the school day sign in or be signed out in the attendance office by the person(s) dropping off or picking up the student. Students will be permitted to leave school if a properly authorized written request has been presented or if a parent or guardian appears in person to withdraw a student from school. Proper ID is required to check out students. In addition, you may be asked to present a photo ID.

Part-Day Absences and Tardiness - Students who arrive late to school must be accompanied into the office and signed in by a parent/guardian. Students who sign in with the attendance office after 7:30 will be considered tardy. In order to receive a full day of attendance, students must be at school for five instructional hours. Students who are present between two and one-half to five hours of instructional time will be credited with one-half day of attendance.

Absence and School Activities - Students who are absent from school for any part of the school day may not participate in practices, contests, performances or attend special events after school on that day, unless they have a medical note from a doctor or dentist. Students not eligible for practices and contests on the last school day of the week due to absence may not participate in school team contests held on the first day of the weekend or the first day of a vacation or holiday period. Students excused from school for part or all of the day due to medical or dental appointments may participate in practice sessions, contests, performances or attend special events after school on that day if the doctor or dentist approves their participation.