School Day
The school day begins promptly at 8 a.m. The school day is over at 3:20 p.m. for fifth- and sixthgraders and 3:45 p.m. for seventh- and eighth-graders. Students are expected to be picked up promptly at the conclusion of their school day. Our After School Program is the extended-day program for fifth- and sixth-graders, and the Homework Club serves seventh- and eighth-graders.
Lateness
It is extremely important that our students make every effort to be in school by 8 a.m. Failure to arrive on time constitutes lateness. Students who are late to school must sign the late book in the Middle School Office and obtain a late pass. Parents/guardians will be notified of repeated lateness to school. Students who are late to school three times will be issued a demerit. We feel that it is very important for the students to be on time so they have the time to organize themselves for the day.
Absences - Students
Students are expected to be in school on all calendar school days. In the event that a student will be absent, parents are to call Cheryl Saxton, Middle School administrative assistant, at the school between 7:45 and 8:30 a.m. All students are expected to get their homework assignments, which are posted daily on TowerNet. If a student is absent for more than one day, students and parents are encouraged to call the student’s advisor during school hours to coordinate obtaining and completing assignments. The student and their advisor can reschedule the completion of work with any of the student’s teachers. We strongly urge parents to not place their children in an awkward position by taking them out of school on seventh- and eighth-grade athletic game days or for any band or chorus performances. Team commitments need to be strong, and the absence of a player for a game or concert can have a most demoralizing impact on their teammates.
Absences - Excused
We ask parents to think long and hard about taking their children out of school for anything but absolutely essential family events (funerals, graduations, weddings). Since much learning at school is hands-on, collaborative and experiential, it is virtually impossible for work to be made up after an absence. Parents will need to make a request for an excused absence to the Head of the Middle School at least two weeks before the anticipated date(s). In the event that a request has been approved, the following procedure will be followed: 1. Teachers will be notified that the student has been granted an excused absence. 2. A week before the student departs for their absence, they are to meet with each teacher to get assignments and to arrange for make-up tests to be taken. In some cases it may be possible for the student to take some or all of the tests before their absence date. 3. The initiative to do this needs to come from the student and the parents. While the teacher may remind the student of their responsibility, it is up to the parents and the student to get the necessary information from the teachers.
Attendance & Absences
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