Attendance Policy

Attendance Policy

General Statement on Attendance
Arizona Revised Statutes (ARS) requires the parent or legal guardian of the student shall “enroll the child in and ensure that the child attends a public, private or charter school for the full time of the school.” To that end, Destiny Community School has implemented attendance policies in the spirit and letter of the law. It is imperative that parents/guardians understand these policies and how they will affect their child.

Regular attendance and punctual arrival at school are two behaviors that dramatically impact student achievement. Absences and tardiness disrupt student schedules, require readjustment to the class routine, and interfere with learning. It is very difficult for students to make up work that has been done in class.

There is often direct instruction by the teacher, labs, and other activities that cannot be duplicated; therefore, we urge parents/guardians to support their child’s education and us by not allowing their student to be out of school unless absolutely necessary. Please make every possible attempt to schedule doctor, dentist, and other appointments as well as vacations for students at times outside the school day; the breaks are an excellent time to schedule student appointments and vacations. This will reinforce the importance of school and will prevent the student from getting behind in his or her work.

School’s Responsibility

Attendance is taken periodically throughout the day. The office manager monitors and records the names of students who are absent and who have not had a parent/guardian call to excuse them. Parents will be contacted by phone if their student is absent. It is also the responsibility of the school to notify the parent/guardian of excessive absences and tardies.

Parent’s/Guardian’s Responsibility

Parents/guardians are asked to call the office (480-325-8950) by 9:00am each day that the child is absent. If calling before 8:00am, please leave a message on the voice mail indicating the student’s absence (student’s name, day of absence, parent name, reason, daytime phone number). If a student misses three or more consecutive absences due to illness, he/she will need to bring a doctor’s release before returning to school.

Make-Up Work

Students are expected to complete assignments and tests missed during an absence. The student is responsible for requesting missing assignments and for returning them to the teacher in the required amount of time; the student is responsible for arranging time to meet with his/her teachers to make up missed work, instruction, and assignments. Parents/guardians may request a student’s homework while he/she is absent by contacting the school office.

Excessive Absences and Tardies

1. At the time that a student has accumulated ten (10) or more absences during the entire year, the parent/guardian may be required to appear before the Site Council to discuss consideration of the student’s continued enrollment status.

2. Three (3) tardies equal one (1) absence and will count towards the total number of absences. School begins at 8:00am and students are expected to be on the basketball court in their teacher’s line promptly at 8:00am. Students who arrive after 8:00am are considered tardy.

Exceptions

As stated in the Arizona Revised Statutes, students with chronic health problems, an extended illness, disease, or an accident who are unable to attend school for a period of time may be excused from school. All chronic health problems, extended illnesses, diseases, or accidents must be certified by a written letter from the student’s doctor. All cases will be reviewed on an individual basis.

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DCS Attendance Policy