owatonna Middle school Attendance Line
(507) 444-8705
- Attendance Procedures
- Student Responsibilities
- Parent/Guardian Responsibilities
- Excused Absences
- Unexcused Absences
- Tardies
- Policy
Attendance Procedures
- If a student is absent from school in the morning, the parent or guardian is asked to call the main office between 7:00 and 9:00 a.m. The phone number is 444-8705. If a phone call is received, a note from the parents is not necessary.
- Any student who has been absent for any part of the day is required to report to the school office when he/she returns to school to acquire an admit slip, which will be shown to all of his/her teachers.
- If a student has been in school any part of the day but plans to be absent from school later, the school must be notified by written permission or by a telephone call from the parent prior to the time the student leaves. The student must acquire a Permit to Leave the Building pass from the school office before leaving the school building. They will show this to the front desk in the entrance and exit the building through the 15th St NE doors.
- If a student becomes ill, he/she must receive permission to go home from the school nurse or the attendance secretary. Students who become ill and leave school without permission will be marked truant.
Illness
One of the goals of health services is to assure a healthy environment. Many students and families are frequently concerned about when students should stay home or attend school. The following information is intended to help with this decision.
- If student has a fever of 100 degrees or more, the student should stay home for 24 hours after the temperature returns to normal (without fever reducing medicine).
- If the student has vomited or had diarrhea, the student should stay home until 24 hours after the last episode.
- If student has any rash that may be disease-related or the cause is unknown, check with the family physician before sending the student to school.
- If student is ill at home, please call the school attendance line daily to report the reason for the absence. It is helpful to report specific symptoms and/or diagnoses.
Attendance on Days of School Activities/Events
- Students are reminded that except for doctor and dental appointments and school approved activities, attendance for the last two periods of the day is required on the day of a game, a performance or an activity night.
- Parents/students will be informed of absences either through the Parent/Student Portal within Infinite Campus or by an automated telephone call.
Student Responsibilities
It is the responsibility of each student to do the following:
- Attend all classes on a daily basis.
- Monitor the total number of absences in each course. Report any errors to the teacher of the course.
- When ill, to the Nurse's Office.
- Follow all check-in and check-out procedures.
- Contact teacher(s) to arrange make-up work.
- Students arriving to first hour after the bell has rung must report to the office and get a pass to enter class. Students arriving within 20 minutes will be marked tardy. Students arriving after 20 minutes will be coded unexcused.
Parent/Guardian Responsibilities
It is the responsibility of each student's parent/guardian to do the following:
- Ensure the student is attending school.
- Monitor the total number of absences in each course. Report any errors to the teacher of the course.
- Call the Attendance Office prior to a student's absence when a student will be absent. Parent/guardian must call 444-8705 within 24 hours of the student's return to school. Following 24 hours, all absences will stand as unexcused or truant. All students, regardless of age, must have an absence excused by a parent/guardian if the student lives at home.
- Schedule appointments before or after school as much as possible.
- Schedule family vacations during official school breaks and summer vacation.
- Work cooperatively with the school and the student to resolve any attendance problems that may arise.
- Communicate and discuss with the student the Attendance Policy.
- Contact the Owatonna Middle School Health Office (444-8706) for assistance if the student has any long-term or chronic health conditions that may result in frequent absences from school.
- Ensure that students who are truant are present to serve Saturday School hours and detention as assigned.
Excused Absences
To be considered an excused absence, the student’s parent or legal guardian must contact the school and indicate the reason for the student’s absence from school within 24 hours of the absence. If extenuating circumstances exist, please contact the school's administrator.
The following are examples of absences that will be considered excused and count toward a student’s excused absences per year.
- Illness
- Serious illness in the student’s immediate family
- Funeral
- Family vacation
The following types of absences are excused, but do not count toward the absence total for attendance procedures:
- Court appearances occasioned by family or personal action. Student/parent must provide paperwork to school to verify court appearance.
- Religious holiday
- Removal of a student pursuant to a suspension. Suspensions are to be handled as excused absences, and students will be permitted to complete make-up work.
- Funeral-death of an immediate family member
- Medical, dental, or orthodontic treatment, or counseling appointment when doctor’s note is provided or approved by the school nurse.
Consequences of Excused Absences
- Students whose absences are excused are required to make up all assignments missed or to complete alternative assignments as deemed appropriate by the classroom teacher.
- The typical student misses 5-7 days per school year.
- When students reach 5 excused days, families will receive a letter informing them of how many days their student has missed.
- When students reach 7 excused days, families will receive a letter informing them of how many days their student has missed. A conference or phone call may be arranged with the student and family to discuss the student’s attendance.
- When students reach 10 excused days, families will receive a letter of concern informing them that if their student misses more than 10 days, the absences will be required to be excused by a doctor or the school nurse.
- If a doctor or school nurse excuse is required but not provided, the absence will be considered unexcused.
Unexcused Absences
The following are examples of absences which will not be excused:
- Absences that are in the excused category but are beyond the student’s 10 days of allowed excused absences per year
- An absence which was not approved by the parent and/or the school district
- Any absence in which the parent failed to comply with any reporting requirement of the school district’s attendance procedures
- Includes days missed for illness where the absence is required to be excused by a doctor or the school nurse and no documentation is provided
- Student needed at home (i.e. babysitting, etc.)
- Student late due to oversleeping, missed bus, etc
- Any other absence not included under the excused absence attendance procedures
Consequences of Unexcused Absences
- After each unexcused absence, the school will notify parents indicating concern regarding school attendance. A letter from the County Attorney’s office explaining the importance of attendance and the consequences of educational neglect may be sent.
- After one unexcused absence, families will receive a letter informing them of their student’s unexcused absence.
- Student may be required to serve detention.
- After three unexcused absences, families will receive a letter informing them of their student’s unexcused absence.
- A letter will be filed with the county under state guidelines indicating the child is considered a “continual truant.”
- A phone call or conference may be arranged with school administration, social worker, or counselor with the parent/guardian and the student.
- Student will be required to serve detention, In-School Suspension, or attend Saturday School.
- After five unexcused absences, families will receive a letter requiring parents/guardians to attend a meeting with the County Attorney’s office, representatives from Human Services and the school district. At this meeting a plan for regular attendance will be developed.
- Student will be required to serve detention, In School Suspension, or attend Saturday School.
- If a student accumulates seven unexcused absences, the student will be considered “habitually truant.” A letter will be sent to families and a copy sent to Child Protective Services and the county attorney.
- Student will be required to serve detention, In School Suspension, or attend Saturday School.
- Student may be referred to Truancy Court.
- Absences resulting from official suspension will be handled in accordance with the Pupil Fair Dismissal Act, MN Stat. 121A.40-121A.56.
Tardies
Tardies - Students are expected to be at school when the day begins and in class when the bell rings.
Consequences of Tardies
- When students accumulate three tardies and for each subsequent tardy, an automated phone call will be generated at the end of the day
- Upon accumulating six tardies to class, students will also be required to:
- Meet with their counselor/administrator
- Complete a Suite 360 lesson
- Families will receive a letter informing them of their student’s tardies
- Upon accumulating nine tardies to class, students will also be required to:
- Meet with an administrator
- Serve an hour of detention
- Complete a second, different, Suite 360 lesson
- Families will receive a letter informing them of their student’s tardies
- For every tardy a student accumulates after nine tardies, they may be required to call home.
- Upon accumulating twelve tardies to class, students will also be required to:
- Attend a meeting with administration and their parent/guardian to determine next steps
- Serve an hour of detention
- Families will receive a letter informing them of their student’s tardies
- Students who accumulate more than twelve tardies will be addressed on a case-by-case basis.