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Absences & Tardies

Absences

  • Always send a note to school to explain your child’s absence. A note must accompany your child upon his/her return to school if the absence is to be excused.
  • The school will accept no more than 3 “mommy notes” for illness through the ENTIRE school year without additional doctor notes or health plan.
  • Excused Absences:  student illness, death in the family, religious holidays, or family emergency when student is needed to help with family responsibilities
  • Vacations are unexcused absences.  Teachers may give make-up work. However, with appropriate notice or special circumstances cleared in advance, punitive attendance measures will not be pursued if there is no additional history of unexcused absences.
  • Parents will receive a letter from the school after 3 unexcused absences. Teachers or the attendance clerk will attempt to call the parent to discuss the absences and the need for documentation.
  • Students with 5 or more unexcused absences receive a second letter from the school. The school social worker, Parent Liaison and/or school counselor will also contact the parent.
  • Students with 7 or more unexcused absences will meet with the social worker, guidance counselor and the teacher at the school.
  • Students who have 10 or more unexcused absences will be referred to Murfreesboro Juvenile Court.

 The MCS phone system will call your contact number each day your child is not in attendance.

 Make up Work – Students with an absence shall be provided the opportunity to receive assignments missed during the absence and to make up the work upon their return for the full grade. Make up work should be turned in at a mutually agreed time frame between the teacher and the student. The attendance record is not changed when missed work is completed.  Students may be asked to stay after school if a student becomes behind in his/her work.

Tardiness
The school day officially begins at 8:30 with morning meetings. Breakfast is available and will be served to all students free of charge at 8:15 in the classroom. Students should be in their seats and ready to begin work by 8:30.  In the event a student is tardy, the parent must come in to the office with the student to insure that they arrive inside the school safely.  To be counted as present for the day, a child must be here at least three and one half hours of the school day. 

Early Dismissal
Early dismissals are discouraged.  Teachers use every minute of the instructional day and early releases create a disruption for students.   Exclusions to this policy include religious training, doctor/dentist visits, counseling sessions, or other activities approved by the principal.  Children will not be dismissed from their classrooms except on special occasions.  All parents and visitors must come to the office to sign a student out of school.  Office personnel will then call the appropriate classroom, and have the child dismissed to the office.  Students will only be dismissed to adults listed on the student profile form.  Anyone picking up a child must show identification.