Absences
When a student is absent from school, a parent should call the office by 8:00am each day of the absence. If the office does not receive a call, a parent will be contacted. This policy is for the protection of the St. Joan of Arc students.
- Calls before 7:30am are taken by voicemail at 630-969-1452.
- Before 7:30am to 630-969-1732 option 2.
- Students should be fever free for 24 hours before returning to school.
A written statement giving reasons for the absence or tardiness must be brought to the student’s teacher upon the student’s return.
The school calendar provides for extended weekends throughout the school year. Parents are encouraged to schedule trips or family outings during these times so as to eliminate the need to interrupt a child’s learning process.
Missed assignments are the student’s responsibility. For short absences, students should make arrangement with classmates or check SchoolSpeak regarding assignments. Students may also receive missed assignments from their teacher when they return to school. Teachers are not required to give make-up tests or assignments for absences due to vacations. No assignment will be given in anticipation of the vacation. Arrangements for regular classroom tests missed because of an absence are to be made with the individual teachers.
In today’s schools there is really no such thing as ‘make-up’ work. Teachers and students can only attempt to offset the loss of instructional days. With the increase of teacher-pupil inter-action, instructional aides, discussion groups, computer assisted instruction and media-center assignments, a loss of even one day may be detrimental to a pupil’s progress and therefore, cannot adequately be compensated. Absenteeism definitely presents a difficult problem for both teachers and students because it prohibits continuity of instruction.
When an emergency arises that necessitates a student being absent during school time, parents must request an absentee form from the office to specify the projected dates of absence and the location of the students during this time. When this form is returned to the main office, teachers will be notified. Upon the student’s return, the teachers will give assignments to be completed at home that will attempt to partially compensate for the loss of instructional time. Excessive absence or tardiness, can be cause for action on the part of administration.
Tardiness
Students who are not in the classroom when attendance is taken must report to the main office for a tardy slip. Students will not be marked tardy and will not need a tardy slip when buses are late.
Excessive tardiness affects the learning of all of our students. Students at all grade levels who are tardy 5 times in a trimester will serve a lunch detention, 10 tardies will result in three assigned lunch detentions. More than 10 tardies will result in an after school hour long detention for students in grades 4-8. Students in grades K-3 will continue to serve lunch detentions. Parents will be asked to come to school for a conference with administration if their student exceeds 10 tardies.