U. Attendance Policy

Upper School 2022-2023

U. Attendance Policy

With regard to attendance, our expectation is very simple: we expect students to attend all of their classes and obligations, including, but not limited to: assigned study halls, examinations, school meetings, advisor meetings, family style sit-down meals, college counseling appointments and athletic commitments. We consider the decision to attend WMA to be a commitment by students and parents/guardians.

A student may be excused for reasons relating to illness or injury. If the student is on campus, they must go to the Health Services Office as soon as possible to obtain this permission and, under most circumstances, will not be excused after the fact. When Health Services has determined that a student is well enough, the student is required to be in attendance at all classes and obligations. If a student is completing their course work at home and has an illness or injury that prevents them from attending class and completing work, the parents/guardians must contact the Deans Office.

Students whose absences, excused or unexcused, exceed 20 percent of the amount of class time for a given course will be reviewed by the Dean of Studies. Students may need to petition the Review Board to determine if credit will be awarded for the course. Students with a pattern of absences may be placed on Conduct Status or dismissed from the Academy.

Attendance Consequences

Students will earn the following consequences for unexcused absences:

Infraction # Consequence 1 Spend one free period in study hall 2 Spend two free periods in study hall 3 Detention 4 Detention and work detail 5 Conduct Warning and Infraction 3 consequences 6+ Conduct Probation

Unexcused absence infractions are cumulative, per course, and do not reset at the end of a trimester. Unexcused absences from non-credit obligations such as study hall, school meeting, advisor meetings, family style sit-down meals, and college counseling appointments etc., result in assignment to detention.

PowerSchool immediately posts absences by faculty. Unexcused absences are indicated by the letter “A.”

Upper School 2022-2023

Students have the sole responsibility to check PowerSchool and clear any absences with the Deans Office within 48 hours if a mistake was made. Requests to make changes after the 48-hour period will most likely be denied.

Unexcused Tardiness & Consequences

Students are expected to arrive at all school appointments and obligations on time. Three unexcused tardies from classes, including assigned study hall, result in assignment to detention. Every unexcused tardy after the third in a marking period also results in assignment to detention. Excessive trend of tardiness from classes may result in Conduct Status and/or dismissal from school.

An unexcused excessive tardy (30+ minutes late for a 65-minute class) counts as an unexcused absence, resulting in consequences from the Deans Office.

A trend of unexcused tardies from non-credit obligations such as school meetings, advisor meetings, college counseling appointments, family style sit-down meals, etc., will result in assignment to detention as determined by the Dean of Students. Continued trend of unexcused tardies may result in Conduct Status and/or dismissal from school.

Weekends & Vacations

Absences resulting from student travel plans not coinciding with school vacation times, which include unauthorized early departure or late return for weekends or vacations, are considered unexcused, resulting in consequences from the Deans Office.

Students may not be excused from classes for travel prior to the end of the final class on departure days or for late returns at the end of vacations or long weekends without permission from the Deans Office.

Special Permission

Special permission for missing classes or other school obligations may be granted to allow a student to attend an especially significant family event or to pursue an area of “excellence” in one’s academic, athletic or activity experience. This type of permission will not be granted to attend such events as a prom or class reunion, to extend vacations or to accommodate travel plans except in the most extreme situations.

In order to obtain special permission for a student to miss classes and other school obligations, a parent/guardian must contact the Deans Office at least one week prior to the expected time of departure. The student will meet with a member of the Deans

Upper School 2022-2023

Office to determine whether or not permission will be granted. Requests are reviewed on a case by-case basis, and we encourage families not to make travel plans/arrangements prior to either receiving or being denied special permission. Any time a student misses classes without receiving special permission or being excused by the Deans Office, the student should expect to receive the consequences as stated earlier in this section.

Day Student absences, late arrivals and daytime departures

The Deans Office requests parents/guardians encourage their children to meet all obligations on time and without excuse or exception. The only acceptable excuse for absence from school is illness. If a day student is unable to attend school, parents/ guardians must call by 9 a.m. Any other reason for a student’s absence must be cleared by their parents/guardians with the Dean of Students well in advance of the day. Please make every effort to arrange appointments with doctors, dentists, etc., so as not to conflict with classes, afternoon activities or other obligations. If an appointment does need to occur during a school obligation, then the student is required to bring a note from their appointment. When planning family activities for school vacations, please make sure to meet all school obligations on the last day before and the first day after vacations. Students who need to leave campus during the academic day may do so only after obtaining permission from the Deans Office. After receiving permission, students should sign out at the Deans Office. Leaving without permission may result in disciplinary action.

Leaves of absence: Medical Leave and Deans Leave

It is expected that families will schedule medical appointments that do not conflict with school obligations, however, we understand this may not always be the case. A short-term leave is typically a few days and granted to a student, at the request of their family for the purpose of attending medical/dental appointments at home. Medical leaves of absence can be short or long term.

A long-term medical leave may be requested by the family or required by the school. Please see the Health Services section for a more detailed explanation. The School may require a Deans Leave. It is a non-disciplinary, non-medical leave of absence. This type of leave occurs when the Head of School or Dean of Students determines a student needs to leave campus, usually before a disciplinary decision is reached. A student is on a Deans Leave for a specific amount of time determined by the Head of School and/or Dean of Students. During a student’s leave they are expected to continue with their academics.