Attendance is essential to ensure optimum academic achievement. For this reason, excessive absences may threaten a student’s promotion and/or credit for classes.

If a student is absent, parents should notify the office by 8:30 a.m. This will confirm parental knowledge and/or consent for the absence.

Excused absences include illness, death of a family member, and emergency situations. Medical and dental appointments should be scheduled after school hours whenever possible.

PHCA respects the right of the parent’s final authority regarding their child’s absence from school for special family occasions. However, to be consistent with an overall attendance policy, the school administrator reserves the right to determine if the absence is excused or unexcused. For planned extended absences, notification should be sent to the school in writing one week in advance, and arrangements should be made before the absence concerning work that will be missed.

For unplanned absences, immediately upon returning to school, it is the student’s responsibility to find out from their teacher what work needs to be made up and complete those assignments. Generally, one make up day will be given for each day absent. If a parent wants to pick up their child’s work, they should request it when they call their child’s absence in to the school office. Homework will be available to be picked up after 3:30 p.m.

If a student misses more than 10 days, or accumulates an unreasonable amount of tardiness, a conference with the teacher, administrator, and parents may be requested to determine if the promotion requirements are being met.

If a child arrives more than 5 minutes late to school, he/she must report to the office for an “Admit to Class” slip before going to class. Parents of students must come in with their child and sign them in.

When a student arrives late to school, it disrupts the classroom that is already in session and causes a waste of valuable educational time for everyone in the room. It is extremely important that you. as parents, help us to begin the day right and on time by getting your children here and in class by 8:30 a.m.

Students will be allowed 5 tardies without consequences. The 6th and 7th tardy will result in 5 minutes taken off of their recess time, and the 8th-10th will result in 10 minutes taken off of their recess time.