LVR Attendance Policies and Procedures:

Student Absences:

• The student’s parent/guardian must notify the school and report the reason for the absence. The school can be contacted by phone (250-352-5538), email at clerical.lvr3@sd8.bc.ca, or with a note signed by the parent/guardian brought by the student on the day they return.
• Teachers submit attendance online within 30 minutes of the start of each class and an automatic message is texted/emailed to parents/guardians from the office for each class absence.
• For planned absences of more than 3 days, an LVR Extended Absence Form - must be downloaded, filled out, and either brought to the LVR office, or emailed to the Principal, Dan Rude, at dan.rude@sd8.bc.ca. Planned absences longer than one week require the form to be submitted and the school notified at least two weeks in advance.
• Students are responsible for all learning, assignments, and tests missed due to an absence. They should plan to complete the missed material within a day or two of returning to school.
• After a student misses more than 5 blocks of a class (no matter the reason), the teacher/school will send a letter home to notify the parents/guardians that their attendance is of concern.
• After a student misses more than 8 blocks, the student and their parent/guardian will be required to attend a meeting with school personnel (teacher, administrator, counsellor, and/or school-based team members) to discuss their attendance and if necessary, find ways to support the student.
• After a student misses more than 12 blocks, all parties will meet again to discuss possible pathways to success which may include additional supports, discipline, or an adjustment in their timetable/courses.
• If the parent/guardian is not able to attend the meet(s), they will be informed of the outcome and any decisions made via email.

Arriving Late:

• It is expected that students will be in class on time. Lateness creates a disruption to the educational process in the classroom and learning time is lost.
• Students arriving late to school must sign in at the office and get a late slip.
• Students arriving to class after 40 minutes of class time has elapsed are considered absent regarding attendance.
• Tardiness will be dealt with according to the following procedure:
  
  • Step 1: 1-4 lates per course. The teacher will handle the situation individually with the student. Teachers will initiate, no later than the third late, some form of disciplinary or restorative action. Teachers will make home contact before the 5th late.
  • Step 2: 5^th late per course. The teacher is encouraged to report the student to administration and provide information concerning previous attempts on their part to correct the situation. Administration works with the School Based Team to develop an intervention program which may include: mentorship, programming, progressive discipline plan with the student, detentions, contact home and a parent conference. Students will be tracked and monitored for attendance and truancy.
  • Step 3: 9th (or more) late of the course. The teacher is again encouraged to report the student to administration or School Based Team. Consequences may include not being permitted to enter a class late. Interventions at this point may include: detentions, in-school suspension, out of school suspension, or removal from the course if coupled with 10 or more absences.

Leaving School Early:

• Students leaving for appointments that cannot be made outside of class time must have a parent/guardian contact the school. In addition, the parent should inform the affected teacher with an email to the teacher or a signed note sent with the student.
• Students leaving the school early must report to the office to sign out. The office needs to have verification from the parent/guardian before the student is allowed to leave.

 

Attendance Roles and Responsibilities

Student	Parent/Guardian	School Staff (Teachers, Administrators, Counsellors, School-Based Team)
Be aware of the school’s attendance and late policies and any further specific policies in each class. Attend all classes on time and be ready to learn. Make appropriate arrangements with teachers to complete missed work as soon as possible upon returning to school. Sign in and out at the office when arriving late.  Provide a note from a parent/guardian when leaving school early. Fill in appropriate forms (i.e. extra-curricular and curricular travel and extended absence) as needed. Understand that instruction and work missed for an absence that is not verified by a parent/guardian may result in no credit for that work.	Promote the value of attending school and of punctuality. Ensure their student arrives to school, on time, and attends the entire day. Call or email the school office when your student is absent, late, or is required to leave the school early. (250-352-5538 or clerical.lvr3@sd8.bc.ca) Alternatively, send a handwritten note signed by the parent/guardian. Ensure school has current and accurate contact information. Receive & read communication from school via text/email regarding student’s absences. Plan holidays within scheduled school holidays only. Submit a Extended Absence Form to the school at least two week’s prior to departure for planned extended absences. Wherever possible organize appointments outside of school hours. Provide the school with a clear explanation for student's absences from school in writing, email or on the phone to the school office.	Keep accurate attendance for each class and enter into MyEdBC within the first 30 minutes of every class. Notify students and parents of attendance concerns. Work with students and families to support regular attendance. Teaches provide the office with a list of students attending field trips, extra-curricular events, and/or other school functions at least 48 hours in advance (with small adjustments communicated on the day of departure). Meet with students and parents or guardians to discuss attendance concerns.

Field Trips & Extra-Curricular Travel (School-Related Absences)

If a field trip or extra-curricular trip requires that students miss class time, students must obtain and complete a Field Trip Form – - from their teacher/coach in advance. They must follow the same procedure previously outlined and return the form PRIOR to travel or the student may not be allowed to attend the trip.

Planned Extended Absences (student will miss more than 3 days of class)

Students missing classes lose essential instruction and place increased demands on classroom teachers in the areas of record keeping, administering make-up work, etc. During the planning for an absence, parents and students should understand that teachers cannot be expected to pre-or post-teach missed lessons, nor provide make-up assignments to cover all the material that will be missed. 

Since a student needs to attend a full course to earn full credit, it is reasonable to expect that extended and/or frequent absences, for whatever reason, will impact learning and achievement. We do recognize that occasions arise where extended absences are unavoidable. When this is the case, the school will make every reasonable attempt to reduce the impact on the student’s educational program.

Parents must complete the LVR Extended Absence Form – outlining the reasons for the absence, expected duration, and departure date and submit it to the principal.

* L.V. Rogers Secondary strongly discourages students taking vacations during school time or leaving school prior to the normal closing date.

 

Attendance Intervention Letter to be sent from LVR to parents/guardians

Attendance Matters!!

“The pandemic may be coming to an end, however the normalization of absenteeism, like so many of the ripple effects from COVID-19, will have devastating long-term effects on Canada’s children and youth – and lead to further educational inequity in our country.”

 

Maria A. Rogers, Canada Research Chair in Child and Youth Mental Health and Well-Being at Carleton University
 

“In the long term, even if a student who was chronically absent does graduate from secondary school, the lower grades that often result from chronic absenteeism can leave the student with fewer opportunities for post-secondary and fulfilling employment opportunities.”  

- FNESC, FNSA - A Toolkit for Raising Attendance Rates

 

Dear Parent / Guardian;

LVR is dedicated to academic achievement and success for all pupils. Regular school attendance is a critical part of that success. High attendance rates have been shown to result in improved academic skills and school culture, as well as social and emotional growth for our pupils, and lead to life-long benefits in health, earnings, and well-being. Students fall behind when they miss school, whether they are absent for excused or unexcused reasons. You can have a big impact on attendance (and success!) going forward. We appreciate your help!

We are concerned that __________________________ (student) has already missed ____ (number) classes this year in __________________ (subject), and we all want them to be successful. If attendance improves, this should not have a major impact on their overall performance. If attendance continues to follow this pattern, our concerns grow, and completion of the course may be impacted.

Chronic absenteeism is defined as 10% of classes missed, regardless of whether they are excused or unexcused. To help students be successful in learning and achieving their credits, we are following a 3-tier approach.

At-risk Attendance	5-8 blocks	Tier 1: This letter, in hopes that attendance will improve and not reach Tier 2.
Chronic Absenteeism	Missed 9-11 blocks	Tier 2 : A meeting will be set with teachers, student, parent/guardian and Principal/VP to work together to create a plan that will lead to consistent attendance, success and completion of the course.
Severe Chronic	12+ blocks	Tier 3 : Meeting with all parties to reassess and help the student find a new pathway to meet their goals.

*80 block = minute class

Thank you for your support!  If you have any questions, please contact …