Attendence

  • Attendance

    Regular school attendance is essential to every student’s success and is necessary to gain the most significant benefit from the educational experience. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania law and school policy requires regular school attendance.

    Excused Absence from School:

    To assure absences are excused, the parent/guardian must submit a written note within three (3) school days upon return, and the note should include:

    • Date(s) of absence(s)
    • A valid reason for the absence(s)
    • A parent/guardian signature

    Valid reasons for absence from school include:

    • Illness, including if a student is dismissed by designated Intermediate Unit staff during school hours for health-related reasons.
    • Obtaining professional health care or therapy service rendered by a licensed practitioner of the healing arts in any state, commonwealth, or territory.
    • Quarantine.
    • Family emergency.
    • Recovery from the accident. 
    • Required court attendance.
    • Death in the family.
    • Participation in a project sponsored by a statewide or countywide 4-H, FFA, or combined 4-H and FFA group upon prior written request.

    Parents are asked to call the school office at 610-938-9000 ext. 3542 by 8:00 a.m. the day your child is absent. This phone call does not replace the required written documentation outlined above. A secretary will contact the parent if a student is absent, and the parent has not notified us.

  • Excused Absences Contact Information

    Call in to report absences anytime before 8 a.m. unless noted.

    • OPTIONS students are encouraged to notify the community site (whether community-based instruction apartment OR community-based employability site) if they are going to be absent. Each student must establish the habit of calling in when they cannot come to work due to illness, missing the bus, a previous appointment, or any other reason. This is a procedure that all potential employees and community volunteers must follow at any place of employment where they are volunteering.
    • Your son/daughter can state the following: I [NAME] will not be coming to work/ apartment or travel instruction today because [REASON].

     

    Program/Location

    Phone number to call

    Best time to call

    Employability Skills:

     Coordinator: Lisa Muss

     

    Boeing

    610-938-9000 x2244

    any time before 8 am

    DCIU Morton

    610-938-9000 x2244

    any time before 8 am

    Thrift Shop on the Avenue

    267-874-8208

    any time before 8 am

    Haverford College

    610-938-9000 x2244

    any time before 8 am

    Teachers Teammates

    610-331-8972

    any time before 8 am

    Goodwill, Upper Darby

     

    any time before 8 am

    Goodwill, Swarthmore

     

    anytime before 8 am

    YMCA, Springfield

     

    anytime before 8 am

    Community Living and Learning: CLL

    412 N. Jackson, Media

    610-565-8289

    484-442-8682

    any time before 8 am

    SAILS Program:

    3400 West Chester Pike, Newtown Square

    610-353-3049

    any time before 8

    am

    Enhanced Employment:

    Job Coordinator

    The phone number on the training agreement.

    Travel Instruction:

    Travel Instructor

    The phone number on the training agreement and call the employer.

     

    Unexcused Absences From School

    An Unexcused (or unlawful) absence will result from failure to provide a written note within three (3) calendar days of the student’s return to school or an invalid reason provided for the absence.

    If a student is absent for three or more consecutive days, a doctor’s note may be required for the absence to be marked as excused. The note should be on official letterhead and include the dates of treatment.

    A maximum of ten (10) days of cumulative Excused/Lawful absences may be permitted during a school year. All absences beyond ten (10) cumulative days shall require an excuse from a licensed practitioner of the healing arts.

    Attendance records are reported to the student’s school district at the end of each month. Subsequent to a third truant absence, a meeting may be convened to discuss the cause of the student’s truancy and to develop a plan to resolve the truant behavior.