Daily Schedule and Attendance

School Day

The academic part of the school day normally runs from 8:00 a.m.-2:50 p.m. for Middle School students and 8:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. for Upper School students on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. On most Tuesdays and Thursdays students have a later, 9:00 a.m. start. On most Tuesdays, teachers are available from 7:45 a.m.-9:00 a.m. to provide extra help to students. Please note that Middle School students have a 2:30 p.m. dismissal time on Fridays. Afterschool activities follow the academic school day: most Middle School activities and some Upper School activities run from roughly 3:15 p.m.- 4:00 p.m. Monday- Thursday. JV and Varsity athletic practices typically run from 3:45 p.m.-5:45 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 3:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. on Fridays.

School Delays/Cancellations

Should weather or emergency conditions make it necessary to close School, to open late, or to dismiss early, announcements of early dismissal will be made: • on the School website at www.stlukesct.org • when possible, by phone message • when possible, on the following local radio and TV stations and websites:

WGCH 1490 Greenwich; WSTC 1400 Stamford; Channel 6/Local NBC

WEBE 108; Channel 8/Local ABC

WCTZ 96.7 Fairfield County; Channel 12/NEWS 12 CT

WEFX 95.9; www.ctweather.com

WNLK 1350;

When the administration deems it necessary to dismiss students early due to inclement weather or other unforeseen circumstances, parents will be contacted as soon as possible by both email and phone broadcast messages. Due to the sudden nature of these dismissals, families are encouraged to make arrangements with other St. Luke’s families to carpool, in the event that a parent is not available for pick up. All students who drive will be allowed to leave on their own accord, as their parents determine is appropriate. Other students must wait for buses or parents in the designated areas in the School.

Daily Attendance

St. Luke’s believes that regular school attendance and participation are essential for learning. All students should make every effort to attend class so that they may take full advantage of the School environment. In addition, the lessons learned by making every effort to meet one’s commitments on

time are important for life-long habits. Absenteeism makes learning more difficult for the student, disrupts the continuity of the class setting and creates a burden for teachers and classmates.

Class attendance is recorded for each class. It is the student’s responsibility to make arrangements with the teachers immediately upon return to make up any missed assignments.

Failure to make these arrangements or to follow the make-up test policy can result in failure on that assignment.

For students who are not involved in a defined afternoon activity, the school day ends at 4:00 p.m. It must be clearly understood that students who remain after school and who are not involved in an after school activity are not under the direct supervision of an adult.

St. Luke’s Attendance Policy

Students are allowed up to 12 excused absences per semester. If a student exceeds 12 absences in a class, the student may be subject to a grade deduction in that class.

A student who misses more than twelve days in a single class in a semester and is not on approved medical leave (see the Medical Leave policy below) will receive a penalty to the student’s grade. At absence #13, a student may receive an automatic 2/3 grade drop. For example, an A grade lowers to a B+, and a B- grade lowers to a C. With each successive absence, that student will receive an additional 1/3 letter grade drop. For instance, a student with 16 absences and an A average in a course would have to have the grade lower to C+ [absence #13= 2/3 drop (to B+), then absences #14-16= 1/3 + 1/3 + 1/3 drop (to C+)].

Exempt Absences Student absences are exempted in the following circumstances: • Religious holidays not marked by the School calendar; • School-sponsored field trip or early dismissals for SLS athletics; • Up to five approved college visit days for seniors (fall/spring) and up to three approved college visit days for juniors in the spring term only; and • Medical leave and absences related to a student’s medical or health needs (see the Health and

Wellness section for more information).

Planned Absences

When students miss school for a planned event, they should obtain a planned absence form and bring it to all of their teachers for signatures. This process ensures that students have conversations with their teachers before they miss class. Before leaving, a student must bring the form to the Dean of the Middle School or Assistant Upper School Dean of Students so that it can be properly recorded. Absences due to family trips or extended vacations during the academic year are not excused and are strongly discouraged. For planned absences, teachers are not required to reteach missed material.

College Visit Absences

College visits require a student to submit a form available from the College Counseling office at least one week prior to the proposed college visit, stating specific dates that they plan to visit. Twelfth grade students are excused for up to five days of school for college visits and eleventh grade students are excused for up to three days of school in the spring for college visits. Before leaving, a student must bring the form to the Assistant Upper School Dean of Students so that it can be properly recorded.

Twelfth graders interested in attending meetings with college representatives when they visit St. Luke’s should sign up through Naviance. Students must ask teachers at least one day in advance for permission to miss class if the meeting conflicts with a class.

Leaving School During the School Day

Students who leave School during the school day or are picked up early must alert the School Nurse before they leave campus. Students are not permitted to leave the campus without this note first being delivered to the School Nurse during the school day, which officially ends with the completion of afternoon activities. This does not apply to twelfth grade students who have no obligations on campus and have a signed off-campus permission form. All students leaving campus during the school day, or being picked up early, must sign out at the front desk.

Attendance Reporting Procedures

If any student is going to be out sick or has an emergency absence:

• A parent/guardian must email or call the School Nurse by 8:00 a.m. (or as early as possible) each day the student is absent. Parents can reach the School Nurse at attendance@stlukesct. org or 203-801-4911. Please include the student’s name, grade, reason for the absence, the parent’s name and best contact number.

If any student is going to miss School for any planned absence that is not a sickness (this includes religious and family obligations but not college visits):

• Students must fill out a planned absence form and submit the form to the Dean of the Middle

School or the Upper School Dean’s office, at least two days prior to the planned absence. The purpose of the planned absence form is to alert the teachers of the impending absence and for the student to have a record of instructions for during the time missed. • Students MUST have the form signed by the Dean of Students or Assistant Dean of Students in the Upper School and the Dean of the Middle School or Head of the Middle School so the absence can be properly recorded. • Students must have all of their teachers and advisor sign the form before it is submitted.

If a planned absence will be longer than three days:

• A planned absence form must be filled out. • In addition, an Upper School parent/guardian must call or email Noel Thomas (thomasn@ stlukesct.org / 203-801-4917) or Matt Ward (wardm@stlukesct.org / 203-801-4873). A

Middle School parent/guardian must call or email Katie Mersky (merskyk@stlukesct.org / 203-801-4871).

If any student is going to have an early dismissal:

• For athletics or any School-related activity, the School administrator/faculty member is responsible. • For all non-School related early dismissals, parents/guardians must email or call the School

Nurse with the time of and reason for the early departure.

If any student is going to arrive late to School:

• A parent/guardian must call or email the School Nurse by 8:00 a.m. Monday, Wednesday, and

Friday, and by 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday and Thursday (or as soon as possible if the situation does not allow a call by that time).

If any student misses a class and is in the School Nurse’s office:

• The School Nurse will mark the absence as “nurse’s office.”

Absence and Tardy Accountability

Anytime a student is marked “absent” from a particular class, it will be treated as a “cut” until an excused reason for the absence is established.

After 10:30 a.m. each day, the School Nurse will send an email home to parents/guardians who have not emailed or called about their child’s absence. We ask that parents please contact the School Nurse ASAP regarding why their child is not yet in school or in class.

Each morning, the previous day’s attendance report will be checked. If the parent or student has not addressed the reason the student was not in school or class, a School administrator will follow up with the student and/or parent about the absence.

If it is determined that a student “cut” a class, the School may impose disciplinary consequences, as the School determines are appropriate. Consequences generally include, but are not limited to, the following:

Students will not receive credit for class work missed if they cut class.

Tardy Consequences First Period and Daytime Tardies are treated the same and will be reflected that way in students’ attendance history. The School may impose disciplinary consequences for tardies, as the School determines are appropriate

The accrual of tardies resets at the conclusion of each semester.

After School Detention Days and Times

Middle School

• Monday thru Thursday, 3:00 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.

Upper School

• Monday thru Thursday, 3:00 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.

Attendance to Participate in Afternoon Activities

A student must attend classes in order to participate in afternoon activities. Students who are absent from more than half their classes may not participate in afternoon activities on that school day unless the appropriate Division Head makes an exception.