• ATTENDANCE


    The Hazelwood School District Board of Education recognizes the importance of regular student attendance to a successful learning experience. Regular and punctual patterns of attendance will be expected of each student enrolled in the Hazelwood School District. When your student is absent, please make sure you communicate with your child’s school.

    ABSENCES

    Excused Absences: Parent phone call or note is required.
    ● Illness of the student
    ● Death in the student's immediate family or close friend
    ● Certain days for religious observance
    ● Doctor or dental appointments
    ٭ If a student needs a prearranged absence, (i.e., going on a trip, doctor appointment, and so on), he/she must present written notice with his/her parent’s signature the day before the absence, or before school, if the student
    plans to leave school during the day. This note must state the time and date the student is to leave and must include a phone number where the parents can be reached for verification. It is suggested that parents make dental and doctor
    appointments after school hours.
    ● Court appearance
    ● Quarantine or hospital confinement
    ● Planned absence with prior approval, (i.e., participation in a valid educational opportunity, such as college visit)
    ● Field trips or other school-initiated absences
    ● Emergency or set of circumstances that, in the judgment of the principal, constitutes a reasonable cause of absence from school, (oversleeping, car trouble, running parental
    errands, babysitting are usually not considered an emergency).
    ● Administrative assignment to and attendance at a District-approved program (i.e., Alternative Support Center, In-School Suspension, Positive Choice Program)
    When possible, a student shall be permitted to make up work missed as a result of an excused absence, unless the work was a whole class activity (i.e., field trip, lab, or physical exercise).
    Under those circumstances, no penalty shall be imposed on the student’s grade; rather, an alternate assignment at the same difficulty level should be given by the teacher.

    Unexcused Absences: An absence not listed under Excused Absences is considered an unexcused absence.

    Leaving school grounds: For the protection of the student, the student is not to leave the school grounds for any reason, with anyone, without permission from the office. Before a student leaves school on a prearranged absence or illness, a student’s parent, legal guardian or designee must report to the office and sign out the student, or, for students permitted to
    drive to school, parents/legal guardians must provide verification that the student is allowed to sign himself/herself out to leave school grounds unaccompanied. Students who leave campus at an unscheduled time without following these procedures will be subject to disciplinary action as described under “Truancy”.

    Truancy: An absence from school or class without the knowledge and consent of the parents/legal guardians and the school administration. A parent, legal guardian, or custodian of a child or children who do not regularly attend school may be reported to the Children’s Division and/or the Juvenile Court System. A violation of the compulsory attendance law is a Class C misdemeanor: Chronic Truancy (Referral to Family Court), and is defined as: a student who is absent from school without approval for a full day or more, part of a day, or all or part of a class on more than 10 occasions during a school year.

    ATTENDANCE PROCEDURES

    ABSENTEE CALL-IN
    There is an absentee call-in line available in each school office 24 hours a day. You should call your school’s attendance number to report your child’s absence. Please give the child’s name, teacher’s name, or room number and the reason for the absence.

    DISMISSAL
    We discourage early dismissal and request that all medical appointments be scheduled outside of the school day whenever possible. Students are to be released only to parents, legal guardians, or those specifically approved by them. Any other adult who requests a student to be released will be asked for identification and the parent will be called. Students will be dismissed from the school office; NOT the classroom. Parents must sign the student out in the office.

    Elementary Parents: If your child is to go home from school in a manner that deviates from the normal routine, you must contact the school in writing that day. If a note is not received, your child will be sent home in the usual manner.

    HOURS
    Grades K-5 School Begins at 8:50 a.m. Dismissal at 3:50 p.m.
    Early Dismissal at 1:50 p.m.

     

    LATE ARRIVAL
    Students arriving late to school should report to the attendance secretary in the main office for a late slip to be presented to the classroom teacher.


    MAKE-UP WORK
    It shall be the student and/or parent’s responsibility to initiate a request for make-up work and establish mutually agreeable times with the teacher for daily work and test make-up.

    TARDINESS
    Tardiness is defined as arriving late to school, class, or the student’s assigned area. When students arrive at school after the tardy bell, they must stop in the office for a pass before going to class.