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Attendance Policies Print E-mail

Attendance

Rufus King IB High School is a full-time school.  Regular daily attendance is an essential requirement for all students.  All students are expected to be here every period of every day and to be on time for the start of the school day by reporting to class before 8:35 A.M. and to be on time for the start of every class.

Early Entrance

Students who find it necessary to arrive at school prior to 8:20 A.M. should enter the building through the west 19th Street entrance.  They are permitted to go directly to the cafeteria. Students arriving early may obtain passes from their teachers to go to an area in the building other than the cafeteria prior to 8:20 A.M.  This pass must be presented to the supervising teacher.  Reasons for early entrance may include special help, club meetings, intramural activities, etc. 

Arrival at School

Upon the bell signal at 8:20 A.M., students can enter the school building by the main entrance, the west 19th Street entrance, and the rear 17th Street parking lot entrance.  Students who are in the cafeteria must leave by the 8:30 A.M. bell.

The period of time from 8:20 A.M. to 8:30 A.M. is to be used by students to prepare for the school day.  Coats, hats, etc. should be placed in the locker and the necessary books, folders, etc. for the morning classes should be taken from the locker.  Bookstore business and office matters should be taken care of during these 10 minutes.  While visiting and congregating in small groups is permitted in the corridors during the morning period, it is expected that the conversation will be kept at a reasonable level.

Late Yellow Bus Admittance

Students who arrive late due to a yellow bus delay must obtain a late bus admittance form from the attendance office when they have arrived at school.  These students will be allowed to go to their lockers and proceed to their assigned classes.  Their tardiness will be excused.

Tardy to School

Rufus King IB High School has implemented a tardy policy in an effort to help students be on time and make the most of their learning experience.  As a result, students are held accountable for these rules.

  1. STUDENTS NOT IN FIRST HOUR CLASS WILL BE MARKED ABSENT FOR THE ENTIRE DAY UNLESS THEY CHECK IN AS TARDY.
  2. Students who arrive after 8:35 A.M. will have to enter the building from the 19th Street entrance.
  3. Students who arrive late and are not in their first period class by 8:35 A.M. are tardy.  They will report to the tardy room where they will be issued a tardy slip and sent on to their first period class until 8:45 A.M.
  4. Students who arrive after 8:45 A.M. will be issued a tardy slip and kept in the cafeteria for the duration of the first period.  THIS IS CONSIDERED AN UNEXCUSED ABSENCE FROM FIRST PERIOD.  Students will present the tardy slip to their teacher the next day to be admitted to their first period class.
  5. Students who bring a note from a parent explaining a valid reason for the tardiness will follow the same rules, but the tardy infraction will be counted as an excused absence.
  6. STUDENTS WILL NOT BE ADMITTED TO SCHOOL AFTER 10:30 A.M. WITHOUT A VALID WRITTEN EXCUSE AND THEIR ID CARD.
  7. After three tardy slips have been issued in a marking period, the student will be required to serve an after school detention.  A letter will be sent home to parents/guardians explaining the infraction and outlining the consequences.
  8. After five tardy slips have been issued, the grade level administrator will be contacted, the student will be suspended, and the parents/guardians will be contacted.
  9. If a student is tardy as the result of a problem with the county transit system, the authorities will be notified and routes will be examined.
  10. At the end of a nine-week marking period, the student will begin anew with no tardy infractions.
  11. A TARDY BECOMES A HALF-DAY ABSENCE WHEN A STUDENT REPORTS AFTER 10:30 A.M.  STUDENTS PRESENT IN THE MORNING THAT CHECK OUT BEFORE 2:00 P.M. WILL BE GIVEN A HALF-DAY P.M. ABSENCE.

Tardy to Class

Tardiness to periods 2 through 10 is not allowed.  The amount of time allotted for class passing is 4 minutes.  Students are expected to pass to and from class within this allotted time and to be inside their classrooms upon the ringing of the tardy bell.  Students reporting to class tardy excessively will be reported to the administration.  Five times tardy to a class during a marking period may result in a suspension.School DayDuring a class hour, students shall not leave a classroom without a pass from the teacher.

Excused (Legal) Absences

Students who must be absent from school must have a parent/guardian call school before 10:00 A.M. on the day of the absence.  Upon return to school, students are also required to submit a written excuse signed by the parent/guardian to the attendance office, room 134 WITHIN THREE DAYS OF THE ABSENCE TO OBTAIN A 314 EXCUSE FORM.  Students will not be allowed to make up homework or tests without valid excuses and the 314 form.  Any absence for which an excuse has not been turned in will be considered an unexcused absence.

Legal absences defined by the School Board are only as follows: personal illness, death in the family, court appearance, designated religious holiday, medical appointment, family emergency, driver’s examination, and suspension. 

Students are strongly urged to schedule dental/doctor appointments, job interviews, etc. outside of regular school hours.  If this cannot be arranged, the student is to present a written note to the attendance office from his/her parent/guardian requesting early dismissal.  This should be done prior to 8:35 A.M.

Unacceptable reasons for absences include: vacation, deer hunting, fishing trip, personal business, working, babysitting, shopping, etc.

A student is not permitted to leave school unless s/he is officially excused through the attendance office, room 134.  Failure to check out through the attendance office will be considered truancy and will be treated as such.

Excuse procedures will be enforced by all teachers.  STUDENTS WITH UNEXCUSED ABSENCES MAY NOT EXEMPT EXAMS UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.

After School

Unless a student has an appointment with a teacher or is engaged in an official after school activity, s/he is to be out of the building by 4:00 P.M.  Students are required to report after school to any teacher who directs them to do so.