Policies - Center for Arts & Technology

Attendance Policy

• Students are expected to maintain excellent attendance practices in order to develop the skills, knowledge, attitude an behavior necessary to succeed in post-secondary education and employment.
  • Students are expected to maintain an attendance rate of 95% (10 school days' absence per year) or better during the school year.
  • Students must attend 90% of the scheduled class periods to expect course completion. Failure to do so may result in failure for the marking period, semester, or school year.
  • Excessive tardiness is also unacceptable both at school and in the workplace. Therefore, every four instances of lateness will be considered as one unexcused absence.
  • Class attendance is a student's obligation and responsibility. A student who abuses the attendance policy cannot expect to do well in school, will not receive credit for the course in which he/she is enrolled, and may be denied the opportunity to continue his/her program during the next school year.

• Parents/guardians will be notified in writing (by certified mail) when students have missed five and nine days of a one-semester course and ten and 18 days of a full-year course. The administration and guidance staff at the student's sending school will also be notified in writing of the attendance problem. A parent conference will then be held to discuss the student's absenteeism.
• Absences due to sending-school activities, sending-school calendar differences, school-imposed suspensions, funeral and/or religious observations will not be counted towards this policy. Serious or prolonged illness and other extenuating circumstances will be considered when administering this policy.

Uniform/Career Attire Policy

All students are required to purchase and wear "career attire" in all occupational programs.

• Students who cannot afford to purchase career attire will be provided financial assistance.
• Due to the uniqueness of the occupational programs, required career attire will vary from program to program.
• Ninth grade students participating in the exploratory program are required to wear ninth grade program attire.
• All students attending the Pickering Campus are required to purchase a uniform for physical education class.

Grading Policy

Students will be graded as follows:

Diploma Issuance - Competency Certificate

All secondary students who have completed at least one entire school year in an occupational education program will be eligible to receive a "competency certificate" at graduation. The following criteria will be used to determine which certificate a student receives: