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Attendance
Attendance
MEMS ATTENDANCE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
At Mount Elden Middle School, we firmly believe that consistent attendance is integral to enhancing student well-being and academic achievement. In alignment with the Arizona State Revised Statutes pertaining to school attendance, we wish to detail our attendance policies and procedures in advance of the upcoming school year. This communication reflects our dedication to achieving our attendance goals and maintaining the ideals of our educational environment.
Our primary objective is for every student to attend school every day, embodying our school value: “My Education My Success.” Furthermore, we strive to assist our students in overcoming any barriers they may face in achieving this goal. We extend an enthusiastic invitation for you to partner with us this school year. Together, we can nurture a positive educational culture for your child.
It is essential that students arrive in the classroom promptly and prepared to engage as the bell rings. Late arrivals can disrupt the learning process and affect other students. We aim for all students to be on time and ready to learn, in accordance with state law. According to the Flagstaff Unified School District and Arizona State law ARS-15-803, students are required to attend school at least 90% of available class periods to receive credit. A student who accumulates more than 10 absences in any class during a semester may face issues. We appreciate your support in ensuring that our students achieve their fullest potential through regular attendance.
Every Day Counts – Student Absences
Your child is an important part of our school community, and we want to make sure they get to participate in every learning oppunity. Each School day makes a difference in your child’s education. Let’s work together to give your child the education oppunities they need for a bright future.
A parent/gaurdian must contact the school within 48 hours of a student’s absence. To verify an absence, you may call the school’s attendance line 928-773-8261. Absences not vertfied within 48 hours are not able to be excused due to state reporting requirements.
State law also mandates that the school record reasons for all student absences. Therefore, when a student is absent, it will be necessary for the parent/guardian to inform the school with a reason for that absence. All absences not verified by parent or administrative authorization will remain unexcuesed. Please find below a listing of acceptable reasons for a student to be absent from school that are excusable by their parent or guardian:
- Illness
- Doctor Appointment
- Mental or Behavioral Health
- Homelessness
- Bereavement
- Family Emergencies
- Family Vacation ( up to three (3) days per school year)
- Out-of-school suspensions
In some instances school adminstration may require documentation.
Please let the school know if something is making it difficult to get your child to school. The FUSD and MEMS wants to understand how we can support your child and family.
Communication and information is one of greatest tools for improving attendance for all students. Please review the information below for an overview of attendance procedures and expectations.
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*Good attendance improves peer relationships and higher achievement.
*Poor attendace increases chances of dropping out of school and failing classes.
*Bad attendance impacts everyone. When a student misses class, it takes time for the teacher to catch them up. This shows down the whole class, even for students who don’t miss school.
*Most MEMS students miss less than 5 days per year! Don’t let your child fall behind -
- *Do NOT miss school unless it is absolutely necessary. Absences are like a credit card with a limit of 10 days per semester. Avoid reaching that limit and give yourself some wiggle room.
- Chronic Absenteeism is defined by the state of AZ as missing 10% or more of the school year. This equates to 9 days per semester. We use 10 as a cut off for monitoring purposes.
- Do not take more than 3 days or vacation during a school year. All vacation days beyond 3 are marked as Unexcused Absences in our reporting system.
- Families must report all absences when their child is gone from school.
- Whether students are sick, on vacation, ditching, etc…., all absences count toward a student’s absence total.
- Half says (early release days) count as whole days towards student’s attendance total.
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- Daily calls home update families on student attendace through Parent Square.
- We monitor attendance regularly and communicate status to families.
- Attendance plans to identify barriers and set goals to improve attendance.
Chronic Health Conditions:
*If your child’s absences are due to an underlying medical condition, they may require a Chronic Health Form. This important documentation helps protect your child from potential consequences that can be incurred due to excessive absences. Contact the attendance line for more information about this process.
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- Student who reach a level of chronic absence in 1st period (T-bird) will recieve a grade of F in the course. An academic recovery plan will be required in order to regain a grade of Pass.
- Student with chronic absence levels are referred ti the county attorney per ARS-15-803. (ARS-15-803 = AZ Compulsory Attendance Law)
- Chronically absent students may lose their privilage to participate in extracurricular activites and sports. This may also impact some field trips opportnites.
- 8th Grade students who are chronically absent (10 or more absences either semester) will not be able to participate in the end of your HS promotion ceremony.
Tardies
Attendance/Tardies
- School begins at 9:0AM. Students should be on campus before 8:40AM. School doors open at 8:30AM and students can wait in the proposed areas until the bell rings. Your student is considered tardy at 9:01AM.
- Arizona Revised State Statues 15-803 (B): Absences maybe considered excessive when the number of absent days exceeds 10% of the number of days REQUIRED attendance days.
- At MEMS. we have 180 days of required attendance. If your student will be absent. please call the ATTENDANCE LINE AT (928) 773-8261. Leave your student’s name, reason for absence/tardy, your phone number and your name.