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Attendance

Attendance 

To report an absence or late:

Absence Line - 403.938.6116 Ext. #8       Email - FCHSAttendance@fsd38.ab.ca

Attendance Expectations

As you are likely aware, since returning from COVID, regular attendance in our school and in many schools across Alberta has declined. We understand that each situation is unique, and are committed to supporting all students in attending regularly. 

Achievement, attendance, and punctuality are closely linked: students who have irregular attendance and poor punctuality patterns tend not to achieve their personal best.

In an effort to improve student attendance, we will following the protocol as outlined below:

1. Parents need to call or email the attendance line any time their child is absent. For unverified absences, parents will be contacted via email and/or call via our automated system. 

In addition to the attendance line, we encourage parents to reach out directly to teachers via email should their child be absent. We also welcome parents to contact their child's grade level administrator should they wish to share any unique circumstances surrounding the child's truancy. 

 2. Teachers will reach out to parents via email or telephone call should a student have 3 absences within a short duration of time.  We encourage parents to reach out to teachers via email any time they know their child will be absent. 

3. After 6 absences and/or lates, an administrator will discuss the absences with the parents and student to identify reasons and possible solutions. 

4. After 8-10 absences and/or lates, an administrator will meet with the student and their parents or guardians to establish written strategies and interventions to support the student's attendance.

 5. If previous interventions have not met with positive results, a student will be at risk of being removed from the class and referred to an alternate program delivery format.

Protocols for Confirming Absences

Students

  • Please check in at the office to let us know when you will be leaving and if or when you'll be returning
  • Please have your parent or guardian contact us to confirm your absence
  • If you are late, please discuss your attendance with your teacher to ensure that your attendance is marked late, not absent – when you check in/out at the office, we only check you in/out of school…your teacher checks you in/out of class.

Parents 

  • Please contact the office (phone or email) to confirm your child’s absence, as well as letting us know how long they will be away.
  • When you call to excuse your child from school, it is for us to confirm that you are aware of the absence. While it is possible to change an Absence to an Excused Absence, Alberta Education doesn’t distinguish between this status – an ‘excused’ absence is still an absence and reflects accordingly on your student’s permanent attendance record.
  • If we don’t hear from a parent or guardian, it is considered an unexcused absence and will trigger an automated phone call and email to the primary phone number.

The Office

We keep track of a student’s attendance electronically.

 We record:

  • The timestamp for when a student leaves/returns to/from appointments, and
  • Parental confirmation of a student’s absence

School Messenger is automatically populated with the information we receive from students and their parents. The information gathered by the office determines who receives a phone call and/or email.

Thank you for your support as we work to improve attendance for the students!

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