ATTENDANCE POLICY

To report an absence, please call 669-1500 and press 1.

The Hudsonville High School Attendance Policy rests on the premise that important events take place in class every day and that such activity or interaction between teachers and students can never be exactly duplicated. Interaction among students and staff coupled with involvement with the total school environment are critical factors in the learning process. Such interaction is dependent upon a student’s presence in school and the classroom. Therefore, to maximize learning, regular school attendance is paramount and vitally important to each student’s success. Attendance directly affects academic progress, is part of a student’s permanent record, and helps to develop lifelong attitudes necessary for success in the world of work beyond high school.  Although Michigan Law provides that the responsibility for school attendance of children under the age of eighteen (18) rests with the parents/legal guardians, the school and students of all ages share portions of the responsibility for the student’s education as it relates to attendance. Students who are 18 years of age may request an Age of Majority Form in the Attendance Office to assume legal guardian status and assume full responsibilities for their own school affairs. Age of Majority Students are fully responsible for following all school rules, regulations, and protocols.

Any absence greater than 10% (approximately 6 absences per trimester) is considered excessive. The Ottawa Area Intermediate School District (OAISD) establishes standards for parental contacts concerning excessive absences, and parents will be notified by mail when students exceed these limits. This notification will be made regardless of whether the absences are excused or unexcused. Excessive absences may require the school to make a truancy report with the county truancy office.

Attendance

CLOSED CAMPUS
After students arrive at school, they are not permitted to leave campus at any time during the day unless they are signed out in the office for a verifiable reason communicated in advance to the office by the student’s legal guardian or if they are involved in a prearranged school-sponsored activity. Students who leave the school building without permission, or checking out in the office, face disciplinary measures and/or loss of parking privileges.

ATTENDANCE OFFICE NOTIFICATION
When a student is absent for any portion of the school day, a legal guardian must call the high school at 669-1500, preferably before or during the school day of the absence but minimally within 24 hours (1 day) of the absence to explain the reason for the absence (notes are not acceptable). As practicable, school staff contacts guardians in the event of unexcused absences during the school day. If no call is received, the absence will be unexcused.

POWERSCHOOL NOTIFICATIONS
PowerSchool can be programmed to notify guardians of attendance and grade progress. Visit https://powerschool.hudsonville.k12.mi.us, click [Create An Account] and enter the necessary information, including the Guardian Web ID and the Guardian Password. After an account has been created, you can setup the system to email you daily, weekly, or monthly updates on grades and attendance. Please contact your school counselor if you need more information on how to initiate these alerts.

EXCUSED (EA)
Absences that are communicated by a legal guardian due to personal illness, professional appointments, funerals, or serious personal or family problems will be considered excused. The student must initiate arrangements for missed work for an excused absence. (See rules for Make-Up Work below.)

EXCUSED-MEDICAL (EM)
Absences due to professional appointments with a written doctor’s note on file will be considered excused-medical.  Excessive absences will require verifiable medical, court, or other documentation to be excused.

UNEXCUSED (UA)
Absences that are not in the excused category and not communicated by the legal guardian are unexcused. Examples would be shopping trips, barber or beauty appointments, missing the bus, oversleeping, etc.  The student will be issued detentions or possible in-school or out-of-school suspension, depending on the number of truancy offenses the student has accrued during the school year.

SCHOOL RELATED ABSENCES  (SS)
Any absence due to a school related field trip, one (1) official college visit, class requirement, etc. will be coded as a school related absence. School related absences do not accumulate towards students’ Six Absence Rule, nor the Exam Attendance Policy. As such, they require that students are responsible for all homework, tests, quizzes, and other assignments. (Schoolwork must be completed within two days for each day of class missed with a five school day maximum.)

EXCUSED-LEFT EARLY FROM CLASS (LEE)
When a student attends part of a class period (missing more than 10 minutes in a given hour) and communication of the reason for the early dismissal is received in advance by the office from a legal guardian, the partial absence will be marked as Excused-Left Early (LEE) for student accounting purposes. These absences will count as present for all other attendance policies. Partial absences not communicated in advance by a legal guardian will result in a (LEU, A10, or UT) See Below.

UNEXCUSED-LEFT EARLY FROM CLASS (LEU)
When a student attends part of a class period and leaves early (1-10 minutes from beginning/end of class) without communication from a legal guardian or failure to check out in the office if 18 years of age, the partial absence will be marked as Unexcused-Left Early (LEU).  The student will be issued detentions or possible in-school or out-of-school suspension, depending on the number of truancy offenses the student has accrued during the school year. They may also be subject to Co-Curricular/Athletic Code rules of conduct violations.

ABSENT 10 OR MORE MINUTES (A10)
When students are present for part of a class period but miss ten or more minutes without advance guardian verification, they will be marked A10 and are subject to disciplinary consequences and Co-Curricular/Athletic Code rules of conduct violations.

TARDINESS (UT)
Punctuality is a lifetime trait that business and industry claim as one of the most important requirements for employability. Students are considered tardy if they are not in class when the clock clicks to the minute each class begins without excuse or explanation from the legal guardian (for example, the class start time for 2nd hour is 9:07 on non Seminar days, and students are officially tardy if they are not in the classroom when the clock clicks to 9:07). A student is considered to be tardy up to 10 minutes after the beginning of class. When a student has accumulated a third (3rd) tardy during a trimester in a class, that student will receive an intervention from the teacher. Teachers have the discretion to intervene as they see appropriate, up to a detention.  Excessive tardiness greater than six (6) tardies per trimester will be considered persistent disobedience resulting in administrative intervention and further disciplinary action, which may involve in-school suspension, out-of-school suspension, and/or truancy procedures. Administration reserves the right to perform hall sweeps unannounced, and appropriate consequences will be left to administration discretion.

EXCUSED TARDY (ET)
When a student attends part of a class period (arrives late to class 1-10 minutes) and communication of the reason for the late arrival is received in advance by the office from a legal guardian, the partial absence will be marked as Excused Tardy (ET) for student accounting purposes. These absences will count as present for all other attendance policies. Partial absences (1-10 minutes) not communicated in advance by a legal guardian will result in a (UT or LEU) See Above. 

ATHLETICS/CO-CURRICULAR ATTENDANCE POLICY                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             
Students must be in school for three full class periods in order to participate in extra-curricular activities for that day (must be marked as an excused absence). All Exceptions may be granted by the principal/athletic director. • If a student-athlete goes home sick, she/he will not be allowed to participate in practice or competition for that day. 

MAKE-UP WORK
After a student has been absent for any reason, it is the student’s responsibility to inquire about make-up work. The maximum amount of time for this make-up work is two days for each day of school missed, including the day the student returns to school. If students miss three (3) or more consecutive days, they must complete make-up work within 5 school days of their return. In the event of an extended illness or other unusual circumstances, individual plans will be worked out between the student and the teacher. Students absent on the day of a test or exam are expected to make up the test or exam within two school days of the absence.

COLLEGE VISITS
A college visit is defined as a meeting with an advisor, observing classes, and touring the campus. These activities should be arranged after school hours. Juniors and Seniors will be allowed one (1) school related absence per school year for a campus visit. Additional visits will be recorded as excused (EA) absences only as a result of a parent call. All college visits must be completed by May 1 unless extenuating circumstances are communicated with the Attendance Office prior to the visit.

NOTE: Freshman orientation and/or scheduling for classes and placement testing will not be considered a college visit.

FAMILY VACATIONS
Parents are discouraged from having their students excused from school for vacations or trips. A student who wishes to take part in a planned family vacation will be excused if the parent makes the request at least five (5) school days in advance of the scheduled vacation. Students with six (6), or more absences may or may not have their requests excused by administration.

SIX ABSENCE RULE PER TRIMESTER
Once a student has accumulated six (6) or more absences for any non-school related reason (missed 6 periods of instructional time within a class per trimester) he/she must:

  1. Earn a passing grade for the trimester - (T1) (T2) (T3)

  2. Must pass the final comprehensive exam at the end of the trimester - (E1) (E2) (E3)

*Both 1 and 2 need to be achieved for the student to earn credit for the course.

INCOMPLETES
If a student fails to complete certain assignments or other work, he/she will receive an incomplete (I) for the marking period. Incompletes not made up during the next two weeks will automatically change to a failing grade of E and no course credit will be given.

PowerSchool Attendance Code Abbreviations:

Attendance Code

Definition

A

Uncoded Absence

LEE

Communicated Late Arrival/Early Release

EA

Excused Absence

ET

Excused Tardy (1-10 minutes)

IST

Alternative Learning Center (In-School Suspension)

NS

Class Not in Session

SS

School Related Absence

OSS

Out-of-School Suspension

UT

Tardy <10 Minutes

LEU

Unexcused Left Early (1-10 minutes)

A10

Partial Absence >=10 Minutes

UA

Unexcused Absence

EM

Excused-Medical (doctor’s note provided)