The report compiled by MSA Professional Services regarding the Transportation flow at Elm Lawn is available for viewing in PDF form by clicking here.

No.  We also don’t start recording anyone tardy until the last bus has arrived.  This is an issue occasionally, but since I brought it to the Transportation Director’s attention, it has seemed to improve.

Call the office or look on the report cards when they come home.

If you child has a cold/flu you can make the judgment on whether to keep them home or send them to school.   Under the policy, 10 absences for this type of situation are considered excused.  After 10, they are no longer excused.  When you do go to the doctor it is a good idea to get a note and send it to school upon your child’s return.

Yes.  Excused absences or tardies are:

1 Religious Holiday

2. A written medical excuse provided by a licensed physician, dentist, chiropractor, optometrist, county health officer, psychologist or Christian Science practitioner are exempted and not counted toward the ten (10) day limit per year. A medical excuse on file with the school may also cover chronic and recurring illness.

3. A death in the immediate family or funeral for close relatives.

4. A court appearance or other legal procedure which requires the attendance of the student. The absence will only be excused for the time required for travel and appearance.

5. School -issued suspensions.

Students that are absent or tardy for these reasons will be recorded as excused; students that are absent or tardy for others reasons are permitted (10) excused absences and tardies, and all other absences not listed in 1-5 will be considered unexcused.

 All other absences or tardies after the limit of 10 are considered unexcused .

Yes.  Prior to December 10, 2007 we did not differentiate between excused and unexcused tardies and absences.  Although each absence was given an absence code, they were not specifically tracked into excused and unexcused categories.  Now each absence or tardy is evaluated based on the reasons provide above.  Prior to Dec. 10th, 2007 absences or tardies that should have been unexcused were excused in some cases. 

Vacations can be covered under the 10 permitted excused absences; if/when the 10 excused days are exceeded, the remaining days are recorded as unexcused absences

No.  By being to school at the regularly scheduled time students are learning the life skill of being on time and taking care of responsibilities even when faced with outside distractions.  Being on time to school and meeting all requirements is a great way to practice those skills.

To be clear, this policy was already in place, however follow-up was erratic and inconsistent throughout the District; several schools in addition to Elm Lawn were experiencing high tardy and absence rates. On December 10th, 2007, the first day we started our new method of monitoring and tracking attendance and tardies, 12 % of our student body was late.  Since then, that has gone down considerably.  We now usually have between 3 to 5 % of our student body late for school.  Absences rates have decreased as well.

Please notify the school of any absence and the reason.  If your child is seen by a health care provider, please send a note when the child returns.  If you are going on vacation, please call the attendance line to inform them of the absence in advance, or complete a Vacation Form, available in the front office.

The count is 10 days of unexcused absences or 10 unexcused tardies, so it is possible to have more than ten absences or tardies.   

Yes.  They are two separate categories. 

We take attendance at the beginning of the day.  Attendance events are recorded as follows:

• If a student arrives after 8:10, prior to 9:45 = Tardy
• If a student arrives after 9:45, prior to 1:15= AM absence
• If a student leaves school prior to 9:45 (doesn’t return) = AM and PM absence
• If a student leaves school after 9:45, prior to 1:15 = PM absence

This is an excused absence.

With a note from your health care provider explaining the pre-existing condition, absences for that reason will be considered excused until the count reaches 30.  At that point, common sense will be exercised when applying the policy.

Yes.  There are 30 different absence codes for office staff to select from.

Notes about the type of absence, and any information provided by parents are included in the absence record.  This is a long-standing practice.

We have addressed alternate drop-off points in the monthly newsletter on several occasions, parents have been informed when they expressed concerns about traffic congestion in front of the school.  We will continue our efforts to make people aware of alternate drop-off areas.

Yes.  The doors are open for students when the air temperature or wind chill meets the district policy: When the air temperature is 0 degrees Farenheit or colder and/or the wind chill factor is -10 degrees Farenheit or colder, all students shall be permitted to enter the building to wait for the bell, and will be kept indoors during recess periods in grades K-8. Each school principal will develop procedures for providing supervision of students in such situations.

When the temperature meets the district policy for allowing students in, the doors are
opened sooner.

I am not sure at this point.  The number of spots and the amount of visitor spots that are available for parents is something that will be addressed in the spring of the year. 

Mr. Pisani is open to additional ideas to help facilitate pick-up and drop-off.