Attendance

Athletics

Athletics are a required element of the school day for most students. On a typical day, practice occurs from 3:45 to 5:45 p.m. Depending on the sport, games occur a few times a week or on the weekend. Go to HillersSports.com for team schedules and info, or to the Athletic Handbook for more information on our athletic requirements. The requirement summarized is as follows: ninth and 10th graders must participate in an after-school athletic activity in each of the three seasons, unless a student chooses to opt out for a theater production or a season of service. 11th and 12th graders may opt out of participating in such an activity during one out of the three seasons if they so choose.

Attendance

One of the most important elements to succeeding in school is attending regularly. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each class period. Please adhere to following policies:

School starts promptly at 8:30 a.m. If you are going to be absent or late, a parent/guardian must contact the Upper School Administrative Assistant by 9:45 a.m. If a student does not arrive at school, the Upper School Office will call home to ask after the student’s whereabouts. This policy applies for any mandatory school event.

If you are absent on a given day due to illness, you should not be in the building or attending school events later that day.

Absences

All Tower Hill students are required to attend school during the academic calendar year in order to matriculate into the next grade level. If you are sick or have an illness that lasts for more than three days, a note from your physician should be given to the Upper School Administrative Assistant.

Students who miss more than 15 academic days (three weeks) in an academic year will be asked to meet with the Class Dean, Dean of Students and the Head of Upper School to determine their eligibility to progress into the following year of study.

Parents are asked to request permission for students to be excused from school for predicted absences of three or more days. Parents are asked to make this request of the Head of Upper School one month in advance of the predicted absence or as early as possible.

Medical Leave

A student in need of medical leave must be under a doctor’s care and supervision. The family will be asked to present a doctor’s note stating the reason for the leave and the expected duration of the leave. After determining whether the school can accommodate the leave, members of the school administration and the family will meet to determine a plan for Return to Learn with the necessary supports and expectations. While on leave or upon return from leave, students are typically required to make up all missed work. In certain circumstances, the Dean of Students and Head of Upper School will work with a student’s teachers to define work qualifying as essential.

Concussion Policy

For a student diagnosed with a concussion, the academic and extracurricular impact will be varied and unique to the situation. Concussions are both a medical and educational issue. Assessing and addressing problems with learning and school performance, as well as athletic participation, do not involve only medical decisions, but rather educational ones as well. It is important to note that medical recommendations, while not educationally binding, will certainly be taken into consideration as the school determines the proper plan for each student. Tower Hill will use an individualized approach to determine a student’s Return to Learn and Return to Play. For additional information, please see the Concussion Protocol in the Nurse’s Office and/or Athletic Trainer’s Office.

Lateness

If you arrive after 8:30 a.m. on Monday through Friday, you will be considered late.

What to Do When You’re Late to School

When you arrive late, you should check in with the Upper School Administrative Assistant’s office as soon as you get to school. There, you will need to badge in with your student ID card in order to be marked present. Proceed to class as quickly as possible. To participate in after school activities, including sports, you must arrive by 9:45 a.m.

If you arrive after the beginning of First Period, you must provide an email from a parent or from a doctor to the Upper School Administrative Assistant, explaining the reason for the lateness. If you do not have an excuse, you will need to see the Class Dean, Dean of Students or Head of Upper School. No matter the circumstances, you will still need to badge in with your ID card in order to be marked present.

Check-out Procedures at the End of the Day

When you are at school, you are expected to remain in or immediately adjacent to the main school buildings during the 8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. school day unless you have permission to leave early. You should not be wandering the campus outside or in areas of the building. If you need to go to your car to retrieve something, you need permission from the Upper School Office. If you participate in a sport, you must remain until the end of your athletic commitment.

Check-out During the School Day

If you need to leave school for an appointment or other obligation, your parent or guardian must email the Upper School Office and receive confirmation that the Administrative Assistant is aware of the appointment. The email should contain specific information about the time and nature of the appointment or obligation and should indicate whether or not the student will return to finish the school day. The school asks that, whenever possible, appointments be scheduled so as not to conflict with academic classes and athletic contests. Before leaving campus, make sure you badge out with your student ID at the Upper School office.

When you return on campus from having checked out of school, you must badge in at the Upper School office before returning to class. The Administrative Assistant will send you and your teacher a readmission slip via email or in writing. If the Administrative Assistant is unavailable, contact the Dean of Students.