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Do
I Have to Go to School? Yes. Hawaii has a compulsory school
attendance law. You must be in school until at least 16 years
old.
Who Do
I Notify About Absences? When a student is absent, the school
office should be notified at 327-4314 or email
our office (make sure you indicate your child's full legal
name, date of absence, and length of absence if known). If you
are unable to call the office, send a parental/guardian's note
with the student when he/she returns to school. You may receive
a call from school to verify your child's absence.
What Absences
are Excused? According to a state-wide policy, students are
considered either present, absent or truant. Students who are
not in school because of illness or family emergency are considered
absent. Students who are missing for other reasons, such as shopping,
babysitting, working, going to the beach, etc. are considered
truant.
How Many
Absences Are Too Many? Any time a student is missing from
school, he/she is missing out on instruction. We expect students
to attend school every school day. However, we understand that
life isn't perfect, and children get sick and have emergencies.
Therefore we have the following system:
- After
10 Absences: Warning letter mailed home
- After 15
Absences: Letter mailed home warning of possible Family Court
intervention
- After 20
Absences: School will file a Petition of Non-attendance with
Family Court. Parents will be held accountable by the court.
What About
Tardies? Students who are tardy to school (arrival after our
tardy bell at 8:34) must sign in with our attendance clerk and
get an excused or unexcused pass to class. Legitimate excuses
for being tardy include: late bus and unusual traffic congestion
(caused by a traffic accident), and medical appointments. Unexcused
tardies include those because of poor student and/or parent planning
(didn't leave home in time), sleeping in, getting breakfast, or
putting things like books or playground balls away. Teachers will
notify the office about students who are tardy to class. Tardiness
will result in consequences like detention for the student.
Doctor's
Appointment? Parents of students who have doctor's or dentist's
appointments need to call the office at 327-4314 or send a note
to the office before the beginning of school so everyone knows
when and why the student is authorized to leave campus.
How Do
We Pick Up a Student from School? You need to come to the
office and sign our student leaving campus log. Students who leave
without parents checking them out are considered truant.
We're
Planning a Trip to <place name may vary>. We'll be gone
for several days. You need to contact our office and tell us of
your plans. We can't provide work for students who are gone for
more than two weeks. You should also realize that, while a student
can do assignments outside of school, he/she is still accountable
for classroom instruction and learning missed because of absence.
What happens
if we plan to be gone for more than ten school days at a time?
You must withdraw your student from Kealakehe Intermediate School.
When you return, you must re-register before your child returns
to classes.
What About
Make-up Work? If a student is absent (not truant), he/she
is accountable for the assignments given while absent. In the
case of one or two days' absence, you may want to remind your
child to ask for make-up work when he/she returns to class. For
more extended absences, we suggest you call the office at least
a day before you leave and request make-up work in advance. Teachers
have 24 hours to produce make-up work. You must pick up this make-up
work at the school office.
My Child
Was Absent for a Legitimate Reason. Make-up Work Was Requested.
The Teacher Didn't Supply Any Work. If you requested work
in a timely manner and the teacher did not supply any make-up
work, the student cannot be held accountable for the work missed.
What Happens
When a Student Gets Suspended? Although we sometimes have
to suspend a student, he/she is still expected to make up work
missed during the suspension. Teachers are obligated to supply
make-up work during this time.
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