/School Information / Absence Procedures
School Attendance/Absence Procedures
When a student is absent from school, parents should call the GHS Attendance Hotline at (217) 483-2424 (Extension 8) between 4 p.m. and 9 a.m. After 9 a.m., please call and press 0 as soon as possible. If the office does not receive a call, the school will attempt to contact parents to determine a student's whereabouts. If no call is received or parents are not reached, students will be contacted to be cleared. If the absence is excused, the student will be given make‑up privileges for the day(s) missed. If the absence is unexcused, the student does not have make‑up privileges. Students and/or parents have 48 hours to clear their respective absences. After that time, an unexcused absence will be issued.
If a student will be arriving late or needs to leave school early due to a medical or dental appointment, parents need to call the school. (These messages can be left on the Attendance Hotline prior to 9 a.m. also.) Students will not be allowed to leave school without a parent phone call. If part of the day is attended, the student should check out in the Office I before leaving and/or check in upon entering the building. Failure to sign out in the Office I may result in an unexcused absence and the appropriate discipline can be issued.
EXCUSED ABSENCES
Absences are excused for:
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Illness of a student
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Observance of religious holidays
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Death in the family or of a close friend
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Family emergency
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Critical illness of a near relative (Mother, Father, Brother, Sister, Grandparent or corresponding step relation)
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Dental or medical appointment when prior arrangements have been made
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Pre-arranged family trips
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Other, as determined by the respective administrator
If the absence is excused, the student will be given make-up privileges for the day(s) missed.
NOTE: Parental approval to miss school does not necessarily mean that the school will approve the absence. Whether or not the absence is unexcused and disciplinary action is required is the discretion of the administrator.
UNEXCUSED ABSENCES
Students will not receive credit for any work or exam missed due to an unexcused absence. Unexcused absences include truancy (skipping, whether a class, part of a day, or a full day), or any absence not recognized by state law, the school board, or the administration. Offenses will be dealt with as per the Ball Chatham District #5 Disciplinary Code, and range from detention to suspension.
Absences are unexcused for:
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Oversleeping
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Car problems
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Ordinary weather hazards
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Staying home to care for younger children
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Visiting friends or relatives without the pre-arrangement form
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Missing the bus
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Working
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Minor aches and pains (persistence may indicate a more serious problem)
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Other, as determined by the administrator
MAKE‑UP WORK
Students are allowed one day to make up work for each day that they have an excused absence. All long-term assignments must be completed by the due date assigned even if the student is absent on the day that the assignment is due. It is advisable that if you miss more than one day, you ask a friend to provide you with your books or assignments. If you miss two days or more, the Office I will assist you in getting your assignments from your teachers. This request should be made by your parents to Office I. Work not made up within these guidelines will result in your receiving a zero for the missed assignments. All make‑up work is the responsibility of the student. Students need to consult the teacher’s classroom management plan. Students may access most homework assignments on the Classroom Pages.
PREARRANGED ABSENCES
Prearranged absences are those days taken by students beyond those days when school is dismissed. The school personnel realize that there are occasions when parents or guardians feel it is necessary or beneficial for students to miss school for trips and special events. However, students and parents must realize that extra days out of the school schedule can be detrimental to the student's learning. Lectures, discussions, and laboratory time cannot always be equaled by a student's attempt to cover the same material alone. Work for prearranged absences must be completed in advance or immediately upon returning to school unless other arrangements are made with the teacher. Prearranged absences must be for at least three (3) or more days and prearranged at least three (3) days in advance. Work not made up within these guidelines will result in a zero for missed work.
If a student and his/her parents wish to take extra days from school, they will need to complete a prearranged absence form that is available in the Student Services Office. This form must be filled out and returned three (3) days in advance of the planned absence. If a prearranged absence is not approved, an unexcused absence and zero for work missed will be issued. No prearranged absences will be approved the last two (2) weeks of school. On IHSA sanctioned events only those who participated in that sport may be issued a prearranged absence to attend state playoff series.
COLLEGE DAYS
Students will be allowed to secure prearranged absences to use as college days. A student may use a maximum of four days during their high school career. All college days must be prearranged ahead of time (at least 24 hour notice) prior to departure. Students are required to check with their teachers ahead of time to secure any assignments. If college days are not prearranged and the appropriate paperwork is not filed in the Guidance Office, they will not be excused.
Students must present evidence of their visit to the Guidance Office upon return from their visitation. Evidence of their visit shall usually consist of a note from an admission office or college official or official school letterhead stating that the visitation took place. Failure to present this will result in an unexcused absence if this visit cannot be verified by other means. Visits to Lincoln Land or the University of Illinois-Springfield will be approved for a ½ day absence only. No college days will be approved the last two (2) weeks of school. Like all other absences for students, the student must verify the absence within 48 hours.
MILITARY DAYS
Students will be excused for military testing if they have filled out the proper paperwork for a prearranged absence and are able to present appropriate evidence of their participation in military testing to the Guidance Office upon returning to school. If military testing dates are not prearranged and the appropriate paperwork is not filed in the Guidance Office, this absence will not be excused. Like all other absences for students, the student must verify the absence within 48 hours. No military testing absences will be excused in the last two (2) weeks of school.
EXCESSIVE ABSENTEEISM
There is a close relationship between student attendance and academic success. If a student is not in the classroom, valuable information is lost, some of which can never be made up. School personnel and parents need to work together to ensure that students attend school on a regular basis. State aid is also directly associated to the number of students in attendance on a daily basis. The policy adopted is oriented toward resolving student absenteeism in a cooperative fashion.
Below are the guidelines that are being followed to ensure that students attend school on a regular basis. With the numbers of students at Glenwood High School, it is difficult to remember each individual and his/her situation. This will provide a means by which contact will be achieved with parents and students that are absent from school and inordinate amount of time. This is not to indicate that a child’s absence is not legitimate. Of course, each student’s case must be handled on a case-by-case basis due to different and varying circumstances; but the overall guidelines on how student absences are handled must be clarified and understandable for all individuals involved.
When a student has missed (10) ten enrolled days for the year, a letter is mailed to the parents stating that for the remainder of the school year a licensed physician’s medical excuse will be required for a student to have an excused absence.
Upon request, identified at-risk families may be referred to the Home-School Prevention Coordinator for follow-up. Parent follow-up contacts will be made by phone or home-visit to discuss the attendance concerns. Failure to produce a desirable change in the student’s school attendance after the following efforts have been made will result in a referral to the Sangamon County Truancy Officer for possible prosecution.
LEAVING SCHOOL GROUNDS
Glenwood has a closed campus policy. Students are not allowed to leave during lunch hours or class periods unless an administrator has granted permission. Students who are ill at school cannot leave school without prior permission from the administration and a phone call to their parents. Early bird students are not allowed to leave campus after class. Failure to follow these procedures may result in disciplinary action and unexcused absences being issued.
TARDINESS
Tardiness to school must be accompanied by a phone call from parents. As in absences, a call does not necessarily mean the tardiness will be excused. When a student arrives tardy to school, he/she should sign-in in the Office I. If the sign-in is preceded with a parent/guardian phone call for an excused reason the student will be sent to class with an excused pass. If the tardiness has not been preceded with a parent contact, the student will be sent to class with an unexcused pass until the tardiness is excused. Doctor appointments, dental appointments, etc., will be excused upon receipt of signed medical note verifying appointment. Oversleeping, car problems, etc., will be unexcused.
During the school day, it is the student's responsibility to be in the classroom when the hourly bell stops ringing. All tardies are unexcused unless a student has an excused late pass to class from another teacher or from office personnel.
NOTE: Any student who is unexcused late while arriving to school will be issued a tardy to their 1st Hour class regardless of the time of their arrival to school. If a student is more than ten (10) minutes tardy for any class after 1st Hour it is an unexcused absence and will be dealt with accordingly which will be a zero for the class activities.
UNEXCUSED TARDINESS BY SEMESTER
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1st Tardy: Verbal Warning
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2nd Tardy: Warning notice
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3rd Tardy: 1-hour detention
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4th Tardy: 2-hour detention
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5th Tardy (or more): In House Detention