Attendance (Absences/lates/extended absences)

Jan 10, 2025

Reporting Student Absence Procedure - NEW SEPT 2024

Students no longer need to submit a paper note to the Main Office to report absences and phone calls are no longer required.

To have your child’s absence excused (whether for a timeframe known in advance or after the student has returned to school):

Email gladstone@vsb.bc.ca with the following information:
1. First, last name and grade of student
2. Dates missed
3. Periods missed
4. Reason for absence(s)

The email will only be considered valid and therefore, processed, if it is received from a parent/guardian email on file.

The attendance record in MyEd will be adjusted to indicate that the home has excused the absence. Students/Parents/Guardians are encouraged to contact their teachers directly in order to ensure students have the necessary work to not fall behind with their progress.

Actions due to absences

After three absences over a short period of time, the teacher makes contact with the student’s counsellor and home via phone call, email or interim report. If done by interim report, the counsellor will sign and submit for mailing home.

With further absences, a written referral is made to the counsellor who can check attendance records looking for patterns and consult with the student and teacher to implement strategies. The counsellor may choose to meet with parents/guardians.

If the counsellor deems it beneficial, a referral will be made to the administration for further action.

Students are expected to communicate with their teacher should an absence occur resulting in a missed assessment. They are also expected bring a note from home to make up an assessment.

Extended Absences

If a student is unavoidably absent for medical or other serious reasons, parents are requested to contact the counsellor. The counsellor will advise the teachers so that arrangements can be made to make up any missed learning and assessment. If a student is absent for family holidays or other non-medical reasons, the school cannot be expected to make special arrangements for missed learning and assessment. The responsibility for taking a student out of school and the resulting consequences must rest with the student and the parents. Families will be asked to complete a form for extended absences.

Extended20Absence20Form20Oct202024.pdf

Lates

Students are to be seated in each of their classes with all needed materials by the time the class bell rings. Teachers will report unexcused tardiness and issue consequences as they deem appropriate. Continued tardiness may lead to the following consequences: warning, referral to counselling, home contact, parental interview, temporary dismissal, removal from enrollment.