CCA Updated Attendance/Tardy Procedures – January 2012

In order to reduce the number of unexcused absences and student tardiness to school, CCA is implementing a more strict policy regarding these issues.  We have established a new committee at Cornerstone called the Attendance Child Study Team (ACST), whose purpose is to keep track of students who are frequently absent from school or who chronically arrive to school late.  We have adopted the current policy that OCPS already has in place in an effort to place more emphasis on the importance of attending school regularly and arriving to school on time. Please note below our absence and tardy policies for both the upper school and lower school: 
Tardiness (lower school):

• 5 tardy arrivals to school will result in a warning letter sent home to parents
• 6 or more tardy arrivals to school will result in a meeting scheduled with parents and our ACST members

Tardiness (upper school):

**5 unexcused tardies to school or early departures = 1 unexcused absence. 

Absence Procedure (lower and upper schools):

• 5 unexcused absences tied to truancy in a 1-month period will result in a warning letter sent home to parents, noting the days of missed school
•  10 unexcused absences tied to truancy in a 3-month period will result in a scheduled meeting with the parent/guardian and ACST members
• A signed note by the parent must be provided in order to excuse a student from school. Email will no longer be an acceptable medium for excusing a student.  An email or phone call will suffice for quickly notifying teachers in case of an absence, but a signed note must be brought to the front office upon the student’s return to school.
• Students who are absent for three or more consecutive days or who request more than five non-consecutive absences for medical reasons must bring in a signed doctor’s note
• Acceptable excused absences include:
• Medical appointments
• Counseling
• Legal appointments
• Funeral of family member or closely related friend
• Family emergency (school may determine if valid)
• Recognized religious holidays

We hope you recognize the importance of attending school regularly and arriving to school on time. Thank you for your support in helping us maintain a high level of excellence at Cornerstone.

If you have questions regarding these updated procedures, please do not hesitate to contact any one of our ACST members:
Maaike Burr (Assistant Principal) mburr@cornerstonecharter.com
Kathleen Brassard (ESE specialist) kbrassard@cornerstonecharter.com
Amy Trendafilov (Director of Registration) atrendafilov@cornerstonecharter.com
Christine Wheeler (Upper school representative) cwheeler@cornerstonecharter.com
Bailey Spaseff (Lower school representative) bspaseff@cornerstonecharter.com

Orange County School Board Attendance Policy

1. No student shall be awarded a credit unless the student has been in attendance for instruction for a minimum of 135 hours. The 135 hours required for attendance for instruction corresponds to twenty (20) absences in a school year for ten (10) absences for each semester. The principal may provide a student who has been in attendance less than 135 hours an opportunity to receive credit by demonstrating mastery of the student performance standards in that course of study.

2. Excused absences shall be considered, on an hour per hour basis, as a part of the 135 minimum hours of classroom instruction.

3. Academic instruction missed by the student shall be made up in an acceptable manner in accordance with the distric pupil progression plan.

4. Students may make up work missed during a suspension within a time limit established by the school principal.

5. The principal is authorized to accept the following reasons for absence(s) of a student:

   • illness, injury or other insurmountable condition
   • illness or death of a member of the student's immediate family
   • recognized (or established) religious holidays and/or religious instruction
   • medical appointments
   • participation in an approved activity or class of instruction held at another site
   • prearranged absences of educational value with the principal's prior approval
   • head lice infestation (up to four (4) days during the school year)
   • catastrophic disasters that significantly impact the life of the student (e.g. loss of residence from natural disaster)