Updated Attendance Policy

Faith Christian School understands the importance of the regular attendance of all students. This policy aims to ensure the best possible attendance and follow-up procedures for the absence of a student.

Regular attendance provides students the opportunity to acquire specific skills and meet course goals and objectives. Students need to be in the classroom to benefit from and participate in interaction and the exchange of ideas with peers, along with direct instruction, laboratory experiments, field trips, and guest speakers. All of which cannot be simulated or replicated with bookwork. A student’s excessive absences or tardiness can lead to incomplete and unsatisfactory work, a reduced capacity to meet curricular standards, and lower course grades. Additionally, excessive absences affect the culture of the classroom, where the faculty seeks to build a community of learners.

An excessive absence is defined as 7 days per quarter, 15 days per semester, or 30 days per year. A student that meets or exceeds these numbers is considered truant.

Parent/ Guardian Responsibility: Parents and guardians will partner with the faculty in assuring that students have good attendance and arrive on time to class.

Parents determine when an absence should be excused and should contact the front office by phone at 850-229-6707 or message the administration through SchoolWorx before or by 10:00 A.M. the day on which the student is absent. If there is no contact from a parent prior to the end of the school day on which the student is out, the absence is unexcused.
Parents promote their child’s attendance and punctuality and abide by the time set by the school for the start and the end of the school day.
Parents understand and uphold the school’s policy which states that continued tardiness and absenteeism will result in disciplinary measures and will affect the students’ chances of enrollment for the upcoming academic year.
Parents ensure that their child attends school in complete school uniform and is fully equipped for the lessons.
In extenuating circumstances, a student or his/her parent/guardian may appeal to the administration to resolve attendance issues.
When checking a student out in person, the parent/legal guardian must present proper identification.
When checking a student out via phone, written consent must be submitted via e-mail or fax with a copy of parent/legal guardian identification.

School Responsibility: Faith Christian School keeps accurate records of student attendance and will communicate promptly and consistently with parents/guardians regarding attendance issues.

FCS will provide significant flexibility to accommodate legitimate absence or lateness with a minimum of administrative procedure.
FCS will ensure the timely flow of information from the school to parents about attendance at school and in class so that both can work to improve a situation before a student’s education suffers.

Goals: This attendance policy is designed to foster a culture of learning in the school.

Establishes firm expectations that punctuality and attendance are important in sustaining the learning environment and in meeting individual learning needs.
Clearly defines the responsibilities of students, educators, and parents regarding absences, tardiness, and dismissals.

The school day begins promptly at 8:00 A.M. Any student arriving after 8:05 must sign in at the office and is considered tardy.

A student must attend four (4) hours of an academic day to be counted as present for the day.

When the time missed from class due to tardiness adds up to four (4) hours, the tardies will become an absence.

MAKE-UP WORK/LONG-TERM ASSIGNMENTS

Students with excused absences are responsible for working with the teacher to make up work and assignments missed while absent. All missed work is due within three (3) days after their return to school with the following exceptions:

Tests or exams assigned prior to an absence will be taken on the day the student returns to school.
Work assigned prior to the absence and due while absent, will be due on the day the student returns to school.
Long-term assignments must be turned in on the day the student returns to school, e.g., book reports, research papers, etc.
Long-term assignments submitted after the first day a student returns to school will result in a grade reduction of no more than 10 points per day.
Students checking in and out on the day a long-term assignment is due must turn the assignment in by the end of that school day for it to be accepted on time.

In case of repeated tardiness and absenteeism, the following applies:

Offense	Frequency	Consequence
Tardiness- this refers to being late in coming to school at the start of the school day and to instances of being late to lessons within the school day	The first three (3) incidents of tardiness in a short period of time such as a month or an academic term	Written warning to student and notify parents.
Continued Tardiness	Up to an additional three (3) instances of tardiness in a short period of time, such as a month	Parents will receive a warning notification from the school.
	Any additional incidents to the above	At the discretion of the school, a decision might include one or more of the following: • Community hours at the school or beyond • Detention during lunch or after school hours • Temporary in-school suspension for up to three days
Offense	Frequency	Consequence
Absenteeism – this refers to frequent or habitual absence from school or from lessons without a valid medical excuse	Six (6) incidents of absenteeism in a short period of time such as a month or an academic term	Written warning to student and notify parents Written notice to be filed in the permanent record
	Any additional incidents to the above	At the discretion of the school, a decision might include one or more of the following: • Community hours at the school or beyond • Detention during lunch or after school hours • A written notice announcing refusal to re-enroll the student in the school for the following academic year. Scholarship students jeopardize the eligibility of scholarships or the school’s ability to accept a scholarship from outside entities

Half days (usually occurring before holidays) or special days (such as class parties) are also counted as school days. If a student chooses not to come to school, he or she will be marked absent.
Any student serving out a suspension will be counted absent and will receive zeros for the day’s assignments.
Class/field trips are counted as school days and are part of a child’s educational experience. If a student chooses not to attend a class/field trip, he or she will be marked absent.
To be dismissed from school early, please notify the school office in advance, if possible. If a student checks out before completing the 4-hour requirement he or she will be counted absent.
If your family is planning a vacation or other extended time of absence, please inform the teacher so arrangements can be made for missed schoolwork. FCS requests a one-week notice for scheduled and extended absences.
A student in K5 through grade 10 who is repeatedly tardy to school without a doctor’s excuse will have an excessive tardy letter (truancy letter) added to his or her permanent record.
Jacquelyn Quarles Scholarship funding and Step Up for Students funding will terminate if a student meets or exceeds the 30-day threshold for absences. Students will then become private paying. If SU finding is terminated the family will be billed for the balance of the tuition, uniforms, registration, and supplies for the remainder of the academic year. If JQ funding is terminated the family will be billed for tuition.