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Attendance
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For more information on absence, absence reporting, and truancy, please see our district Attendance section at pdsd.org/attendance.
A child must comply with compulsory attendance requirements from age 6 to 18. Specifically, a child who has attained the age of 6 on or before September 1 must enroll and attend school or begin a home school program that year. Additionally, any student less than 18 must comply with the compulsory school age requirements.
Regular attendance at school is an important part of every student’s success and is necessary in order to gain the greatest benefit from the educational experience. Students who are frequently absent from school miss direct instruction and regular contact with their teachers. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania law and School Board policy require regular daily attendance. When absences accumulate, it may ultimately result in academic difficulty.
Please refer to Penn-Delco’s Attendance Policy 204
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Lawful Absences
Absences will be “lawful” if the student submits an excuse explaining the absence either via the SchoolMessenger SafeArrival absence reporting platform or via written note . Parents and guardians have 5 days after an absence to submit a written note. A maximum of 10 cumulative absences shall be permitted during the school year. In other words, a student may submit a MAXIMUM of 10 parent notes in one school year. After 10 parent notes (lawful absences), a student will require a note from a physician dated the day of the absence. No “blanket” notes will be accepted
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Make up work following excused or lawful absences
When a student is legally absent from class, it is the responsibility of the student to make up missed work. Students should contact their teachers via email or Schoology message about work/assignments due. In the Schoology gradebook, the missing work that still needs to be submitted will be marked with the orange hexagon symbol. A reasonable guideline is that the amount of time allowed to make up missed work should not exceed the amount of time the student was absent. Students absent the day of the test, may be required to make up the test the day they return. Students absent the day of a test may be required to make up the test the day they return. Assessments or assignments, for which advanced notice has been given, will still be due on the specified date. Absence the day prior to an assessment or the due date of the assignment of this nature, does not relieve the student from the responsibility of taking the assessment or submitting the assignment.
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Unlawful absences
An unlawful absence shall be defined as an event in which a student is absent without a valid, acceptable note (maximum of 10 parent notes per year). A student is considered habitually truant when he or she accumulates 6 or more unlawful absences.
Upon returning from an absence, students MUST have been reported absent before the beginning of the school day or no later than 11am via the SchoolMessenger SafeArrival absence reporting platform or by bringing a written note to school. Without a note (within 5 days of the absence), the absence will remain unlawful. After 10 parent notes have been used, a doctor’s note (dated the day of the absence) will be the only valid note accepted to excuse an absence.
Once a student accumulates 3 or more unlawful absences documenting truancy, a letter is mailed home to the parent. If a student accumulates 6 or more unlawful absences (habitually truant), the school is required to create a SAIP (Student Attendance Improvement Plan). District staff shall notify the guardian in writing and by email/telephone of the date and time of the SAIP meeting. The purpose of the SAIP is to examine the student's absences and reasons for the absences in an effort to improve attendance with or without additional services. Neither the student nor the guardian shall be required to participate, and the SAIP shall occur even if the guardian declines to participate or fails to attend the scheduled conference.
Students who arrive to class/school after 10 minutes without a valid excuse, will be considered absent for the class period. This unexcused/ unlawful absence will be considered a “class cut” and the code of conduct, along with the attendance policies, will be followed. Additionally, any work assigned may not be made up by the student.
Please refer to Penn-Delco’s Attendance Policy 204
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Make up work following unexcused or unlawful absence/tardy
Students who miss a class due to an unexcused absence/unexcused tardy (ie. cutting class, late to school or class by 10 minutes* without an acceptable note from guardian/physician etc.) will miss teaching and learning activities including assessments and assignments. Assessments or assignments missed as a result of an unexcused absence/unexcused tardy will result in a grade of zero. Students are responsible for learning the content that was missed. Making-up assignments may be required to learn the content, but may not be eligible for grading.
* Students who are tardy by less than 10 minutes on a repeat basis, will also be held to the same standards.
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Vacations
Vacations should not be planned when school is in session. If a vacation during the school year cannot be avoided, it cannot be considered an excused absence unless requested in writing and approved by the principal. Vacations will not be approved during the Keystone testing window, mid-year, or final examinations. The district will approve up to five vacation days per student per year. Students will be required to make up classroom work within five days of the student’s return unless other arrangements are made with the teacher.
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Extended absences
For absences beyond one week, it is advisable that the student or his/her guardians contact the school counselor via email or Schoology message regarding the nature of the absence. Depending on the situation, and after the counselor consults with Sun Valley administration, the team will generate a plan regarding make-up work.
Excessive absences, even when excused, affect learning. Missed learning experiences can never fully be made up.
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Attendance codes
Unexcused Attendance Codes: entered by the main office or the teacher of record
- A: Unexcused Absence entered by the main office if the parent calls the attendance hotline in the morning to report their child absent. This absence MAY become excused if proper documentation is submitted within 5 school days to the attendance desk. Email: svhs-attendance@pdsd.org: Phone: 610-497-6300 x 2375
- TRA: Teacher Recorded Absence entered by the classroom teacher if the student did not attend the class.
- TU: Tardy Unexcused entered by the main office if the student enters SVHS after their first assigned class without a valid excuse **If the child misses three or more periods, it will still trigger a half day (missed 3-4 periods) or full day (missed five or more periods) absence.
- TLC: Teacher Late to Class entered by the classroom teacher if the student physically enters the classroom after the class has begun. Repeatedly being late for class may result in loss of privileges.
Excused Absence Codes: entered by the main office ONLY if the student submitted a note within the timeframe allowed
- EA PN: Excused Absence Parent Note entered by the main office if the student submitted a parent's note with an acceptable excuse within 5 school days of their return. **There is a maximum of ten parent notes allowed, for absences and tardies combined, per school year. The eleventh and future absences will only be excused with a doctor’s note dated the day of the absence.
- DN DN: Excused Absence Doctor Note entered by the main office if an absence note from a Medical doctor, dated the day of the absence, is submitted within 5 school days
- SB: School Business entered by the classroom teacher, guidance, or the main office, for a variety of reasons including, but not limited to: student meeting with counselor, student in main office, teacher authorized asynchronous learning (either prior to, or immediately after a class) etc.
- ERS: Early Release Sports entered by the main office for students participating in a school sponsored athletic event that will require them to leave school prior to regular dismissal.
- EDA: Early Dismissal Excused entered by the main office for students who submit a note requesting to leave school prior to regular dismissal for a lawful reason.
- T: Tardy Excused entered by the main office if the student enters SVHS after the start of the student’s first class period.
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Absence calculations
Half Day Absence
A half day (½ day) absence will be recorded for any student who is marked A and/or TRA for any three or four periods in one day. All makeup work and excused/unexcused policies will remain in effect, even if the student misses less than three periods.To remain eligible to attend or participate in any school-sponsored extracurricular activity, students MUST be present for at least ½ of their academic day. For example, if the student is only scheduled for three courses at Sun Valley, he must be present for two of those three periods.
Full Day AbsenceA full day absence will be recorded for any student who misses more than four periods in one day.