​Being on time to school is an important life skill that we at Our Lady of Mount Carmel School value and teach at an early age.  Just as in the workplace, there are consequences for being late to school. Students are considered tardy if they are not present in class line up for morning prayer and announcements by the sounding of the 8:00 a.m. bell.  Please be aware that being on school grounds does not constitute being on time. It is the parent/guardian's responsibility to see that a student arrives on time to school. If a student arrives after the 8:00 a.m. bell, he or she is required to stop and say the prayer and Pledge of Allegiance from wherever he/she is standing out of respect for God and our country.  The child must obtain a tardy slip from the office at the conclusion of morning assembly.  Those students who consistently arrive late interrupt the classroom and disturb the learning process for all students. Students who are tardy must report to the office and will receive a tardy slip to enter class. A student who is tardy 10 or more days in a trimester will sit out of morning recess each day of being tardy. Additionally, a middle school student who is tardy 10 or more days in a trimester will also be ineligible for Academic Honors and Student Council. Persistent tardiness may, at the discretion of the principal, result in withholding re‑registration for the next school year.​

If a student is more than 30 minutes late, it is considered a morning absence. Leaving more than 30 minutes early is considered an afternoon absence.​