Attendance
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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.
For more information on absence, including truancy, please see our district Attendance section at pdsd.org/attendance.
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Attendance Policy
Absences shall be treated as unlawful until the school receives a written excuse explaining the absence. Parents and guardians have 3 days after an absence to submit a written note. A maximum of 10 cumulative, lawful absences shall be permitted during the school year. Request for excusal of absences after 10 lawful absences shall require a written physician’s note.
An unlawful absence shall be defined as an event in which a student is absent without a valid, acceptable note. A student is considered habitually truant when he or she accumulates 6 or more unlawful absences.
Upon returning from an absence, your child MUST bring a note to school. Without a note (within 3 days of the absence), the absence will become unlawful. A letter will be sent home if a child accumulates 3 or more unlawful absences documenting truancy. If a child accumulates 6 or more unlawful absences, the school will be required to file a referral for court or a CYS referral.
Go the the PDSD Attendance section and refer to Penn‐Delco’s Attendance Policy 204 for more information.
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Absence Notification
If your child is going to be absent, you must notify the school by calling the school’s attendance line by 8:30 AM. If your child is marked absent and no call is received, an automated caller will call your primary number to verify the absence. Voice mail is available to take your call 24 hours a day. Our attendance line number is 610-497-6300 Ext 2375. Please leave the child’s full name, grade, and reason for absence. Electronic notes are also valid as long as they include a parent or guardian signature. The note must be received within 3 days of the absence.
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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 pre-approved by the principal. Vacations will not be approved for students during mid-terms, Keystone exams, or final exam periods. The district will approve up to 5 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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Excused Absences
Half-Day Absence
A half-day of absence will be recorded for students who miss any three or four periods in one academic day. Students are required to complete at least one half day of school (must be present for at least four academic periods in a day or 1⁄2 of their scheduled academic classes if they are taking less than 7 credits) in order to participate in sports, musical programs, or other school sponsored activities. If a student is absent from school, they are not permitted on school grounds that day for an athletic event or activity practice or game without a building administrator’s approval. Parents of SV students should call the appropriate attendance line on the morning of the student’s absence to notify the school that the student will not be in attendance. Upon the student’s return to school, an absence note must be emailed or sent to the school outlining the reason for the absence.
Full-Day Absence
A full day absence will be recorded for students who miss five or more academic periods in one day.
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Early Dismissals
It is expected that all efforts be made to schedule appointments during non-school hours. However, it is also understood that events occur for which we are unable to prepare. If an early dismissal is needed, requests must be made in written form from a parent/guardian and the note should contain the parent’s phone number, time and date of dismissal, and the reason for the dismissal. Students and/or emergency contacts are not permitted to write an early dismissal note.
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Late Arrivals
Definitions
- Late: Arrival to first period after 7:30 a.m. When a student is late to school, he or she must report to the office with a note before proceeding to class.
- Noncumulative Late: Arrival to First Period after 7:30 a.m. due to illness verified by documentation from a medical professional, death of an immediate family member, required court appearance, religious holidays or extreme emergencies as determined by school administration.
- Loss of Privileges: Excessive lateness to school may result in loss of privileges in school. This includes but is not limited to: student parking and attendance/participation in extracurricular events and activities.
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Make-up Work Following Absence
When a student is legally absent from school, it is the responsibility of the student to make up for missed work. The school faculty and Guidance Counselors will assist students. 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. For example, if you are out of school for one week, you should have the work made up within a week after you return.
Students absent the day of a test may be required to make up the test the day they return. If a student is absent less than a week, he/she should personally contact each of his/her teachers to inquire about assignments missed and the date they are to be completed, students may e-mail their teachers or use online platforms such as Schoology, to see missed work.
With absences of one to four weeks, it is advisable that the student or his/her parents contact the teacher via email or the guidance counselor. The counselor will contact teachers and collect homework and assignments. In the event of a prolonged illness (four (4) weeks or more) parents may request homebound instruction through the Office of Pupil Services. A physician must certify in writing that the student will be unable to attend school for a period of four weeks or longer.
