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Parents » Attendance

Attendance

By state law, boards of education are required to adopt written policies setting forth attendance requirements.  NSA complies with all Douglas County and Colorado State policies and procedures regarding attendance.

 

Law requires school attendance for every child between ages of seven and sixteen years.  Attendance in class is an integral part of the successful educational process.  Students are required to be in attendance every day school is in session during each academic year.  Parents, guardians, and legal custodians of students between the ages of seven and sixteen are obligated by law to ensure the child’s attendance.  Students who have four or more unexcused absences in a one-month period, or ten or more unexcused absences from school or from class in a school year are considered to be “habitually truant” under state law.

 

If a student is absent, the parent should:

  • Email [email protected] before 8:00 a.m. to inform the school of the absence. Please state the student’s name, parent’s name, and the reason for the absence such as illness or appointment. If no reason is given in parent email or voicemail, the student’s absence will not be excused.
  • If the student is absent due to illness more than three (3) consecutive days, a note from a medical doctor stating the medical reason for the absence will be required.

Regular attendance is important to academic achievement.  Parents are strongly discouraged from planning vacations, trips, doctor appointments, etc. when school is in session.

An absence consists of failure to appear and remain at school throughout the entire school day unless dismissed by the proper authority. 

Students leaving early may not under any circumstance be picked up after 2:45 pm on a school day.

 

Excused absences are those resulting from:

  • Temporary illness or injury
  • Extended physical disability or mental or behavioral health disorder
  • Pursuit of work-study program under supervision of the School
  • Attending a school-sponsored activity or activities of an educational nature with advance approval by the administration
  • Suspension or expulsion
  • Religious accommodation
  • Therapy, medical, legal, or victim services related to an incident of harassment or discrimination, as defined by and in accordance with state law
  • Out-of-home placement (as that term is defined by C.R.S. 22-32-138 (1)(h)), absences due to court appearances and participation in court-ordered activities will be excused. The student’s assigned social worker must verify the student’s absence was for a court appearance or court-ordered activity
  • Absence approved in advance by school principal

 

Students are responsible for making up work covered or assigned during their absence.  Assignments that are not made up will negatively affect the student's grades.  Teachers are NOT obligated to have work prepared for the student beforehand as it interferes with teaching responsibilities and is often not possible due to the nature and content of the subject.  All make-up work will be assigned on the day the student returns from the absence.

 

Unexcused Absences Include:

  • Non-school related Sporting Events
  • Family vacations or visits

Tardiness:

Tardiness is a form of absence and is recorded daily.  Chronic tardiness will result in a warning letter and ultimately a parent meeting with administration. 

 

Exception:

NSA encourages families to plan carefully around school breaks and holidays when scheduling extended trips involving students.  Extended absences create a hardship for both the student and staff involved and are more likely detrimental to the student’s academic progress.  However, NSA understands that special events or circumstances may not always fall within normally scheduled breaks, clear and early communication with the Attendance Secretary and the student’s classroom teacher is highly encouraged.

 

Under Colorado’s compulsory attendance law, absences extending beyond ten (10) unexcused days in a school year result in a student being classified as habitually truant.  Truancy negatively impacts a student’s ability to progress successfully to the next grade as extended absences significantly dilute the quality of the academic program and mastery of content.  Students with excessive absences are subject to district and state truancy laws, and NSA will enforce all Douglas County and State of Colorado laws related to student attendance.  Students absent more than 10 consecutive days may be unenrolled from North Star Academy for the duration of their absence.

 

Parents must provide written/verbal notification to the school (student’s teacher and attendance secretary) to report the student’s absence.  Students will be allowed to complete and turn in classwork/homework missed during their absence up to two weeks after they return from their absence.  The make-up period consists of the following:

  • Other than assignments available online, student work will NOT be provided by teachers ahead of time.
  • Upon returning to school, students will have a two-week period to complete all missed assignments, quizzes, and tests.
  • Students are eligible to receive the full percentage earned/achieved on all make-up assignments, quizzes, and tests.
  • Students may complete make-up work at their own pace during the two-week period following their return, but it is the student’s responsibility to learn the missed content, to request missing work assignments, and to arrange make-up tests or quizzes with the appropriate teacher(s).
  • At the end of the two-week period, any missed work not completed will no longer be accepted, and the student will receive a zero (0) for all missing assignments, quizzes, or tests.