Attendance Policy
Students at TCHS Brandywine are expected to maintain excellent attendance practices to help develop the skills, knowledge, attitude and behavior necessary to succeed in post-secondary education and employment. Students enrolled at TCHS Brandywine are expected to maintain an attendance record of at least 95% (no more than ten (10) school days absent per school year). This rate of attendance is expected for all TCHS Brandywine classes in which a student is enrolled.
Absences due to school-sponsored activities, school-imposed suspension, religious observations and funerals will not be counted toward this policy. Long-term sicknesses greater than two weeks, accompanied by a physician’s note, will not count toward the ten-day limit. All other absences will be counted for the purposes of this policy. In addition, students are expected to arrive on time for classes, and four unexcused late arrivals will be considered an unexcused absence.
Parents/guardians will be notified in writing when students have missed five (5) and ten (10) days of school. After ten (10) absences a parent conference will be held to discuss the student’s absences. In addition, the administration and guidance staff at the student’s sending school will be notified in writing of the attendance problems.
Failure to attend 90% of scheduled classes in each course may result in failure for the marking period, semester or school year. Students involved in parallel programs will be exempt from this requirement. Parallel programs include: (1) in-school suspension; (2) alternate education programs including homebound instruction; (3) institutional placement; (4) educational activities or programs of the sending school; and (5) other similar education related functions required by the sending school or approved by TCHS Brandywine.
A student who is in violation of the attendance policy may not receive credit for the courses in which he/she is enrolled, and may be denied the opportunity to continue his/her program during the next school year.
All absence notes must be turned into the receptionist at front office at TCHS within three days of when the student returns to school. Student’s will be given a reasonable amount of time to complete any work missed during an absence.
False Notes - In the event that a student falsifies a note for absence or lateness that absence/lateness will be considered unexcused, and the attendance policies established for these offenses will apply. In the event that a student presents a falsified note for an early dismissal, the early dismissal will not be granted.
If the student is absent from class due to a falsified note, the procedures for class cutting and forgery will be followed.
Lateness - Lateness to school can become a serious problem because it disrupts the orderly routine of the school. It often interferes with a student’s success and negatively impacts the educational environment.
1. Late arrivals, depending on their nature, may be excused when a written explanation of the lateness is provided by the parent/guardian or sending school, and is approved by TCHS Brandywine. However, oversleeping or missing the bus, are never valid excuses for lateness. Notes that do not state a clear or specific reason for lateness will not be accepted and will result in an unexcused lateness.
2. Parents will be contacted when habitual lateness occurs. In instances where a student repeatedly arrives late to school with notes stating that he or she is generally ill or not feeling well, the school may request a doctor’s statement justifying that lateness. Four unexcused late arrivals will be considered an unexcused absence.
Truancy/Legal Action - Parents of students with cumulative unexcused lateness or failure to attend assigned classes (cuts), and/or unlawful absences totaling more than three school days are in violation of the compulsory attendance laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The appropriate high school will be informed, and the matter may be referred to the District Magistrate for disposition.
Early Dismissal - Under no circumstances is any student permitted to leave school grounds without proper approval. Only the principal, assistant principal, school nurse or attendance office may grant approval for early dismissals. No student will be permitted to leave unless a written request from home is presented and approved. Early dismissal notes must be presented to the receptionist in the main office before class, and will be verified by phone. The early dismissal request must have the following information: student’s full name, parent’s signature, reason for request, home phone number and time of dismissal. Prior to pickup, the driver is expected to come into the front office and show ID to office staff. The administration reserves the right to revoke early dismissals not submitted at the proper time and will check on the legitimacy of any early dismissal notes when deemed necessary. Early dismissals should be limited to four (4) per marking period.
