ATTENDANCE/DISMISSAL PROCEDURES

The fundamental right to attend the public schools places upon the students the accompanying responsibility to be faithful in attendance. Regular attendance can be assumed to be essential for a student's successful progress in the instructional program.

STUDENTS SHALL BE EXPECTED TO BE IN ATTENDANCE EVERY STUDENT ACTIVITY DAY SCHEDULED BY THE ST. TAMMANY PARISH SCHOOL BOARD.

Schools administer attendance regulations in accordance with State and locally adopted policies.

In order to be eligible to receive credit for courses passed, elementary students shall be in attendance a minimum of 160 days a school year. Students who have less than 160 days attendance will be retained or exceptionally promoted, depending on their academic performance.

Students in grades K-8 who miss more than three (3) hours of instructional time during the school day will be considered absent from school.

The days absent for elementary school students shall include excused absences, unexcused absences and suspensions.

Students shall be excused for personal illness, serious illness in the family (not to exceed one week) or for recognized religious holidays of the student's own faith and shall be given the opportunity for makeup work.

Students shall not be excused for any absence other than those listed and shall be given failing grades in those subjects for those days missed with no makeup work allowed.

Students shall not be excused from school to work on any job, including agriculture and domestic service, even in their own homes or for their parents or tutors.

Students missing school as a result of any suspension shall be counted as absent and shall be given failing grades for those days suspended with no makeup work allowed.

Students participating in school approved activities which necessitate their being away from school shall be considered to be present and shall be given opportunity for makeup work.

Students who are verified as meeting extenuating circumstances and who are, therefore, eligible to receive grades shall not receive those grades if they are unable to complete makeup work or pass the course.

EXCUSES FOR ABSENCES MUST BE PRESENTED IN WRITING TO THE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL OR DESIGNEE WITHIN TWO (2) DAYS OF THE DAYS MISSED.

The note shall include student's full name, the day(s) absent, the reason for the absence, parent or guardian's signature, and date. Failure to send the note will result in the student not being able to make up work. (Zeros will be given.) Excuses will not be accepted after two (2) days of the student's return to school.

Upon returning to school, it is the student's responsibility to work out a schedule with the teachers for making up work missed during the authorized absence.

Notification for excused and unexcused school absences will be given at ten (10) days for elementary students to the parent and to the Child Welfare and Attendance Office. A second notice letter will be sent to the students at eighteen (18) days.

At the end of the semester or at the end of the year, parents must verify within a period of ten (10) school days a student's absences and make an appeal to the child Welfare and Attendance Office.

Any student who is a juvenile and who is HABITUALLY absent or tardy shall be reported by the Supervisor or Child Welfare and Attendance to the family or juvenile court of the parish as a truant child, pursuant to the provisions of Louisiana Children's Code relative to families in need of services. A student shall be considered habitually absent or habitually tardy when either condition continues to exist after all reasonable efforts by the principal and teacher have failed to correct the condition after the fifth unexcused absence or unexcused occurrence of being tardy within any month or if a pattern of five (5) absences a month is established.

Students who are late for school must be brought to the office by an adult and receive an admit slip before entering the classroom.

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DISMISSAL

Students will not leave the school grounds during school hours without explicit permission from the principal.

Parents should not check students out of class unless there is a family emergency. Teachers and students may not be interrupted during instructional time except in an emergency with the principal's approval.

Parents and visitors are not allowed to go to the classroom without an appointment.

Students who become ill or injured during the school day or who have some other family emergency will be dismissed only to a parent or legal guardian or a person authorized by the parent designated on the emergency card. For the safety of their children, parents are asked to refrain from picking up their children between 3:15 and 3:51 p.m.

Plans for the day should be reviewed with your child before they leave for school. Teachers will not stop instruction to get your child ready for an early checkout. When you check your child out early, materials and assignments will go home with your child the next school day.

CHANGE IN TRANSPORTATION

Any changes in transportation must be sent IN WRITING to the teacher. NO CHANGES CAN BE MADE WITHOUT WRITTEN AUTHORIZATION. No call-in changes will be accepted. On half days transportation changes must be sent to the teachers. In emergency situations only, a child can be sent to after school care where identification of the adult picking up the student can be verified against the emergency card and a photo id.

Please copy and use the following information when making any changes in transportation, etc.

Mandeville Elementary School

Child's Name: _________________________________ Date: _____/_____/_____

Teacher: _______________________________ Grade: _____________

Message: ______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Parent's Signature: _______________________________________

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CHECKOUT PROCEDURE

1. Students will be allowed to leave school with their parent, legal guardian, or an authorized person designated in writing by the parent. In case of emergencies, if the parent, or authorized person cannot be reached, the student will remain in school.

2. Office personnel will initiate the checkout procedure by checking the emergency card for the name of authorized person and checking identification of said authorized person. Office personnel will then have student signed out and called to the office.

3. The only acceptable excuses for checking out are:
a Personal illness
b. Doctor's appointments; however, parents are encouraged to make both doctor and dental appointments after school hours
c. Court appearances
d. Special reasons authorized by the Principal.

4. Unacceptable excuses for checking out are:
a. Errands with parents.
b. Vacations.
c. Activities that are not school approved, examples: gymnastics, dance, etc.

5. Students are allowed to make up work if there is an acceptable excuse for checking out.

6. If a student returns to school on the same day after checking out, he/she must go through the office and sign in.

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BUSES

Buses unload and load on Massena Street . Each student riding a bus to school must ride the same bus home. If a student needs to ride a different bus, the change must be approved by the bus driver prior to that day. The student should bring a note, written and signed by his/her parent. This note should be brought to the office before school for approval. A bus pass will be given to your child who they will have to present to the bus driver.

A YELLOW BUS PROCEDURE FORM WILL BE SENT HOME THROUGH THE BUS DRIVER. PLEASE READ AND SIGN THIS FORM UPON RECEIPT. IT IS TO BE RETURNED TO THE BUS DRIVER. PARENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BEHAVIOR OF THEIR CHILD ON THE BUS.

CAR RIDERS

Cars are to enter the school grounds from Massena Street . FOR THE SAFETY OF YOUR CHILD, ALL CAR RIDERS MUST BE UNLOADED AND PICKED UP BY THE COVERED GYM DOOR -- NOT ON THE STREET, BACK PARKING LOT, OR OTHER UNSUPERVISED AREAS. Any children dropped off before 8:30 or left after 3:51 will be sent to day care in the gym and charged accordingly. (See Child Care.) Please have your child unload from the passenger's side if possible to avoid contact with passing traffic. Also, in the afternoon, please post your child's name in large letters on the dash for ease in calling them for loading.

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CHILD CARE

A. M. (MORNING CARE)

Before school hours are from 7:00 A.M.-8:30 A.M. The charge is $40.00 per month paid ON OR BEFORE the first school day of the month, or $3.00 per day. Registration forms are available in the office.

P. M. (AFTER SCHOOL CARE)
After school hours end at 6:00 P. M. The charge is $80.00 per month payable in advance ON OR BEFORE the first school day of the month, or $6.00 per day. Snack time, outside play, homework assistance, and inside play time are scheduled and provided daily. Registration forms are available in the office. Any child remaining after 6:00 P.M. will be charged $1.00 per minute for the first occurrence, $2.00 per minute on the second, and $3.00 per minute for the third as well as consideration of suspension from the program. There is no child care offered on half days. Transportation changes must be sent to school for those days.

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WITHDRAWAL FROM SCHOOL

The procedure for withdrawal or transferring is as follows:

Notify student's teacher of upcoming withdrawal or transfer. The office will be notified and a withdrawal form will be processed. All outstanding library books and textbooks must be returned and all outstanding fees paid, (such as cafeteria, child care, library fees) before any records will be sent.

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