Providing a quality education is one of the chief goals of BCS.  Even the best students will quickly fall behind when attendance drops or there is chronic tardiness.  Parent support on this is essential.  As this depends on regular class attendance, the BCS School Board has adopted the following policies:

Basic to all education is the understanding that the student must be present in order to receive information and participate in the learning process. Therefore, it is understood that all students will consistently attend all scheduled school classes and activities. Children who are absent for more than 25 days in the school year may not be promoted at year’s end.

If your child is absent, we require the following:

• A call from the parent to the school office before 9:00 AM if their child will not be coming to school on any particular day.  It is fine to leave a voice mail message on the school answering machine.

• When returning to school, all students must submit a written excuse, signed by a parent/legal guardian, on the day of the student’s return to school. If a note does not come within three days, the school attendance record will permanently reflect an unexcused absence after this time.  This note should indicate the following:

                  Date of note

                  Date(s) of absence

                  Reason for absence

                  Parent’s signature

The administration will need ALL of the above information to help to determine whether the absence is to be considered excused or unexcused.

Please also note that phone calls to the school office notifying staff of a child’s absence that day do NOT replace the need for a written note when the student returns. 

A doctor's note will be required for any absence over five (5) consecutive days, or for any contagious illness or condition.

Absences, tardiness, and early departures will be considered excused or unexcused according to the following standards: 

• Excused:  illness, death in the family, emergency (please specify), impassible roads due to inclement weather or accidents, medical appointments that cannot be rescheduled at other times, and high school visitations by 8th graders. 

• Unexcused:  any other circumstance not approved by school officials, or absence without a written note. Students will not be excused during achievement tests.
  
  

Unexcused Absences

Any absence of any student who missed school without following the above procedures for excused absences will be considered an unexcused absence. Students who have an unexcused absence or tardy may be denied the privilege of making up missed assignments or tests. A student who is absent without a proper excuse four (4) or more times in one month or ten (10) or more times in one school year is considered truant and will be reported to the School Board who will report the truancy to the proper state authorities.

Students who come to school later than 11:00 A.M. or leave before 11:00 P.M. will be marked absent for the day.

If a student is going to be absent from school for reasons other than illness (i.e., medical or academic testing, extended family vacations, etc.) the parents should notify the school in writing as far in advance of the absence as possible.

All students are expected to abide by all state laws and school regulations regarding school attendance as well at other state laws and regulations regarding education.  Parents/guardians should make every effort to see that a student is present every day that school is in session.  Absences disrupt the continuity of instruction and education cannot be entirely regained, even by extra after school help.  Learning gained through interaction with peers and staff in class cannot be duplicated.

Any student who is absent may not participate in any after school activities.

If a student has more than five (5) absences in a quarter, this may jeopardize his/her academic standing.  The parents may be asked to meet with the Principal to discuss the situation and any possible ramifications.  In addition, a child that is absent for 20 days during the school year will cause his or her school record to be reviewed, and may jeopardize his/her academic standing.  A determination will be made whether dismissal is warranted due to lack of attendance.  In addition, the appropriate city attendance officer may be contacted to report excessive absences, to comply with state law. 

Make-up Work

A reasonable length of time for make-up work will generally be from one day to one week, depending upon circumstances. Students should not expect the teacher to delay tests or allow them extra time simply because they missed a day of school just before the test. Consideration will be given to students missing several days in a row, or those obviously too ill to prepare for school. In cases of extended illness, parents are encouraged to contact the teacher to make up tests, and/or pick up missed class work at the close of each day absent.

Tardiness

Controlling tardiness is the responsibility of the parent and is viewed as a serious matter. Any student arriving after 8:05 AM must use the front entrance and report to the school office for a late slip before entering the classroom.  All tardiness (excused or unexcused) must be recorded for state records.  Tardiness will be excused if due to late vans, motor vehicle problems or medical emergencies.  Getting to school on time is an important cooperative effort for the whole family. 

Being consistently tardy is a hindrance to academic progress and will not be tolerated.   Students in grades 4 – 8 who accumulate three unexcused tardies will receive a detention.   After the fourth tardy, each infraction will result in a detention for the student.   If a problem arises, a conference with the principal, parents, and student may be required.  This policy was approved by the BCS School Board.

Three (3) unexcused tardies in a 3-week period constitutes a parent/ teacher conference. Excused tardies are limited to doctor and dentist visits, illness, or extenuating circumstances (i.e. district transportation delays, traffic jams).

For full day students, eight tardies will be equal to one full day absence. For every four unexcused tardies to school in a 9-week period, the student will be charged with one day of absence. All tardy students must be signed in at the office and the reason for the tardy indicated on the sign-in sheet. Failure to complete the reason for the tardy will result in an unexcused tardy. The academic penalties for an unexcused tardy are the same as for an unexcused absence (See Unexcused Absences above).

The student who is tardy MUST have a note from the office in order to be admitted to class.

Early Release from School

Any child that leaves school before the regular dismissal time or needs to leave the campus at any time during the day must be picked up by an authorized person. The student must be signed out in the school office. If possible, please notify the office in advance so that the child can be ready and in the office at the appointed time. Please do not go to the classroom to pick up your child before going to the school office.

Students are NEVER to be dropped off and left unattended on school grounds.

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