Attendance
Attendance at Meiklejohn Elementary
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Attendance line: 303-982-5694
Safety is top priority at Meiklejohn. With this in mind, it is imperative that parents call the attendance line when their student will be absent for any reason so that we can save time when accounting for students every morning.
Please have called the attendance line before 8:30 a.m. of the day your student is/will be absent.
Pre-Arranged Absences: If you know that your student will be absent for an extended amount of time, please fill out a Pre-arranged Absence form (below) and turn it into the front office.In order for the absence to be excused, the student must meet one or more of the following conditions:
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is in good academic standing
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has no unexcused absences
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has four or fewer excused absences in a semester or seven or fewer in a school year
Attendance is the responsibility of the student, the parents, and the school. The importance of regular, daily attendance as a basis for academic achievement cannot be overemphasized. Absences have a negative effect upon instructional continuity, regardless of attempts to make up the work. The district believes duplication of the classroom experience can never be accomplished with after-school assignments. The school cannot teach students who are not present. The regular contact of students with one another in the classroom and their participation in a well planned instructional activity under the tutelage of a competent teacher are vital to this purpose. You may view Jefferson County School District Policy regarding attendance by following the link below.
Meiklejohn Policies and Procedures
The Jefferson County School Board states in its policies that “regular, daily attendance in class is of prime importance in the educational process.” Colorado law requires students under sixteen to attend at least one hundred seventy-two days of school each year. The law requires that you, as a parent, ensure your child’s attendance.
If your child has been absent without illness or unexcused more than four days in a month or ten days in a school year, they can be considered habitually truant under Colorado law.
Excessive absences or tardies seriously affect a child's success at school. We want all of our students to be successful at Meiklejohn Elementary. Regular attendance contributes to this success. If a problem exists that may cause your student to have excessive absences or tardies, please discuss the matter with the school principal.
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Colorado Department of Education has made attendance a yearly goal for the School Accountability Plan
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Meiklejohn Elementary maintains positive attendance expectations for all students
Absences
Parents are asked to call the school attendance line to report absences. This is a recorded message and can be done 24 hours a day, at your convenience. As a safety measure, it is important that parents make every effort to contact the attendance line prior to the start of the school day or the main office after school has started to notify us of your child’s absence. We will attempt to contact parents who have not notified the school of their child’s absence to verify the status of students.
Arrivals
Students are invited into classrooms at 7:35 a.m. The school bell rings at 7:45 a.m. Students arrive no earlier than 7:35 a.m. This allows us to provide proper supervision for safety and security. When students arrive on school grounds they are encouraged to go directly inside the building. They may enter through the unlocked front entry or west main doors. Students are not allowed to play on the equipment before morning entry.
Dismissal
The school day ends at 2:45 p.m. We encourage students to leave the school grounds and proceed home. Supervision is not provided for after school play on our playground.
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Students who are supervised by parents may stay and play following dismissal.
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Children may come back to play on the equipment after they have checked in at home.
Check-out Procedure
Parents are required to come into the office to sign their child out of school.
Children will never be sent home during school hours until the office has first contacted the parents, or prior arrangements have been made with the teacher, parent(s), office and principal.
In the event of a school closure or evacuation: students are only dismissed to parents, legal guardians, persons listed on their emergency card, or those persons with written permission from parents or guardians.
A picture I.D. is required and parents may be called for verification.
While each situation is different, we will adhere to our emergency management plan guidelines to ensure the safety of students and staff. Our school evacuation site is the Depot at the 5 Parks community center.
Emergency contact information
Any change in home telephone number, cell phone number, emergency contact information, etc. should be changed on your child’s Infinite Campus account. This is for the protection of your child in case of an incident or illness that warrants the school to seek communication with parents. Please provide all requested information so that the school can communicate appropriately in an emergency and to support the wellbeing of our students.
Make-up Work
Children are expected to make up school work missed due to illness or other absences.
Per Meiklejohn Elementary and the Board of Education Policy: make-up work is provided by the school for excused and unexcused absences, and adhere to the following guidelines:
Excused absences
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Excused Absences: Parent and school communicate the absence
Students who complete make-up work in the required period of time will receive full academic credit (two days for every day absent).
An extension may be granted by the school administration.
Unexcused absences
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Unexcused Absences: no parent communication or contact with school to identify or confirm absence
Students who complete the make-up work in the required period of time will be penalized no more than one letter grade from the grade earned.
Attendance in Jeffco
The importance of regular, daily school attendance as a basis for academic achievement cannot be overemphasized. Attendance is a shared responsibility of the student, the families and the school.
It is the family’s responsibility to ensure their student attends school and to notify the school when their student is absent for a legitimate reason, such as an illness or family emergency. Each family should also ensure their student’s school has their correct contact information so that the school is able to communicate about any attendance issues that may arise.