Attendance Policy
The SJHS attendance policy (absence, tardiness, truancy) is aligned with the ADLA Administrative Handbook Section 13.2 Attendance,
https://handbook.la-archdiocese.org/chapter-13/section-13-2.
Students are required to be present on scheduled school days, which are listed in the SJHS Student Agenda/Website Calendar. It is very important for students to take their attendance seriously, arrive on time to school and to each class, and make every attempt to not be absent. A student whose attendance record shows habitual tardies and absences is subject to disciplinary action and in some cases, course credit may be withheld.
Universal Attendance Form
The universal attendance slip is used by the attendance secretary to track and gather signatures for:
- Excused absence or tardy
- Unexcused absence or tardy
- Class admission slip
- Tardy slip (for class admission)
- Permit to leave campus
- Return to campus (for class admission)
The secretary fills out the form and, if applicable, gives it to the student who must sign and obtain their parents/guardians signature.
Student Return to School after Absence
- Parents/guardians must provide documentation before school starts on the day the student returns to school after an absence. This can be done three ways:
- Hand-written and signed by a parent/guardian
- Email from the parent/guardian
- SJ App notification from the SJ App
It must include the following information:
- Student name,
- Student grade level,
- Date(s) of absence,
- Reason for absence,
- Parent/guardian signature (for hand-written notes), and
- Parent/guardian phone number.
Absence notes are kept in the student's attendance file for the entire school year. If documentation is not provided on the day a student returns to school after her absence, the Attendance Secretary will contact the parents/guardians and request the documentation. If the parents/guardians, are not reachable and documentation cannot be obtained, the Attendance Secretary gives the student an “Unexcused Absence”, resulting in disciplinary action. The student is allowed to attend class.
If a student does not bring a note the second day after the absence, she will not be permitted to attend class, and the Attendance Secretary and/or her Dean of Student Life will contact the parents/guardians to discuss next steps.
If the Attendance Secretary suspects that an absence note has been forged, she will call the parent/guardian listed on the note for verification. If the note is forged, the student’s Dean is notified for disciplinary action.
Funeral Absence Policy
When a student attends funeral services of a member of her immediate family, the absence will be considered excused. Parents/Guardians need to follow the normal procedure to notify the school of the absence and sent a note upon return to school.
Absences Requiring Additional Documentation
A student who has been absent from school because of a reported communicable disease must have a permit issued by the Public Health Department, a physician, or a nurse before she is readmitted to the school.
The principal may readmit a student who was absent due to a non-reportable communicable disease, such as chicken-pox, German measles, and influenza.
Doctor’s Release Order
If a student is absent five or more days due to illness, she must bring in a doctor’s release note in order to be re-admitted to class. The school reserves the right to request a doctor's release for a student who reports a health condition that warrants such a release.
