Please call our Attendance Secretary at 303-660-4881, Ext. 1301, or email us at [email protected] for attendance issues including absences, late arrivals and early releases.
When students have been ill, they may return to school under the following guidelines per Douglas County School District:
- After 24 hours of medication for the following conditions:
- Strep throat
- Bacterial conjunctivitis
- Infected skin eruptions
- Other conditions requiring antibiotics
- No fever for 24 hours
- No vomiting for 24 hours
- No eye drainage for 24 hours
- No diarrhea for 48 hours
(ACS Policies and Procedures Manual and Parent -Student Handbook)
Attendance
Middle School classes, grades 6-8, begin promptly at 7:45 am. All elementary classes begin promptly at 8:00 am. Regular attendance is important to ensure achievement in school. We discourage vacations, trips, doctor appointments, etc., during regular school hours. ACS encourages a daily attendance rate that enhances rather than detracts from the academic program. Excessive absences and tardies by a few individuals can impede the learning program for others. Your child’s attendance rates will be submitted to the Douglas County School District for review and further action will be taken if their absences become excessive.
Absences
If your child is going to be absent from school because of an unforeseen illness or an appointment, please call the school before 8:15 am. It is critical for student safety that we know which students are in the building at all times. You may call early and leave a message on the voice mail at (303) 660-4881 or email us at [email protected]. Please call every day your child is to be away from school. Office staff will call daily for students who are unaccounted for. Students returning to school after extended absences due to illness must be accompanied by a doctor’s note.
Excused Absences – Excused absences are those resulting from temporary or extended illness, injury, or physical, mental, or emotional disability; family emergencies; absences excused by the School Leader through prior requests of parents or guardians; and absences which occur when a student is in custody of a court or law enforcement authority. If your student is going to be out ill for more than 3 days, we require that you send in a doctor’s note excusing the student from school.
Unexcused Absences – Excused absences are those resulting in any other reason than the excused absences listed above. An absence will be marked unexcused if prior written notice is not accepted by the School Leader or a doctor’s note is not brought in when a student is out sick for more than 3 days. Unexcused absences also include, but are not limited to, those resulting from leaving early during the school day, morning traffic, suspensions and expulsions. No credit will be given for work completed during unexcused absences, without admin or teacher approval.
Late Arrival (Tardy)
Tardiness is a failure to appear on time and is considered a form of absence. Repeated tardiness will be reported to the School Leader and subsequently to the district. Your child will not be accepted into school without their parent present after the designated arrival time.
Upon accumulating 10 tardies or absences
Email notification of tardies/absences will be sent to parents/guardians. This is required by the District. Consequences will be at the discretion of the School Leader.
Tardy for Classes (Middle School)
Middle School students, who are tardy to their next class without a pass from their previous teacher excusing them, will follow the regular discipline procedure implemented in Middle School. Teachers will also notify the office when a student does not arrive to class who is not on the absent list from the morning attendance.
Early Dismissal
Parents arriving at school prior to dismissal should wait outside the school until the dismissal time of 3:15 pm. Last minute directions and review of the day’s assignments are often given during the classroom’s preparation for dismissal. If you must pick up your child before the 3:15 pm dismissal time, you are required to sign him/her out on the clipboard in the front office, by 3pm.
Extended Absences
Extended absences, defined as any absence exceeding 5 consecutive school days, require approval from the School Leaders. The parents/guardians must submit in writing a request for an extended absence to the School Leader. These extended absences due to family excursions, etc., should also be discussed with your child’s teacher well in advance. Make-up work, alternative assignments and the schedule for their completion can be created to minimize negative effects on academic learning. Extended absences should be communicated to the ACS office staff as well as to the student’s teacher(s) in writing a minimum of one week prior to the beginning of the absence. Teachers will do their very best to discuss and send work that can be completed during the student’s absence. Not all work can be completed outside of the classroom and the student will need to make up any missing work when they return to school. If work was given by the teacher, the completed work needs to be turned in within two days of coming back to school from a planned absence. Extended absences are considered unexcused.