Student/Parent Handbook & Code of Conduct - Waller ISD - Website

Waller Independent School District2012-2013 Parent/Student Handbook & Code of ConductLeaving School Early (Grades PreK-5 th )The compulsory attendance law requires that students be in attendance during the normal operatingschool hours. To take a student out of school during the day, parent/guardian should send a note to thehomeroom teacher at the start of the day stating the reason and time of departure or call at least onehour prior to student pick-up time. A sign-out sheet is to be filled out by the parent in the school officewhen a student is dismissed early. Excessive early departures are in violation of compulsory attendancelaws and may result in charges being filed.Leaving School Early (Grades 6 th -12 th )Students, including those 18 years or older, wishing to leave the campus during the school day musttake a written note, signed by their parent, to the attendance office before school that day. The noteshould contain the full name of the student, date, grade, time, reason for dismissal, parent’s daytimetelephone number and then a call will be made to verify the note. The student will obtain their permit toleave from the attendance office before they report to their last class of the day. They must show thepermit to the teacher in their last class at the time they are to leave. The student must sign out at theattendance office as they leave the building in order not to be considered truant. In cases ofemergencies, parents/guardians may call the attendance office and request their student be dismissedfrom school and state the reason. The attendance clerks will document the call to serve as a writtenpermission statement from the parent.Note: Attendance is kept period by period so a student will be counted absent and will besubject to lose credit in a class if they miss more than 10% of the days in a semester.Reporting AbsencesA student absent from school shall provide a note that describes the reason for the absence. The noteshall be signed by the student’s parent or guardian. If the student is 18 or older and/or has beendeclared by a court to be an emancipated minor, the student may sign in place of a parent or guardian.Parents should notify the attendance office on the day of the student’s absence to report the reason forthe absence. You may receive a phone call from school personnel verifying the absence.A student will not be counted absent for a documented appointment with a doctor, dentist or otherhealth care professional if the student attends school at any time on the day of the appointment and ifthe student satisfactorily completes the missed school work in a reasonable amount of time. Thestudent must have a note from the health care provider when they return to school.When notifying the school in writing, the note signed by the parent must contain the followinginformation: the student’s first, middle, last name and grade; the date(s) of the absence; the reason forthe absence, i.e., the student had the flu, a court appearance; and the parent’s daytime telephonenumber. If the student is absent three consecutive days a doctor’s excuse should be provided. Thenotification from the parent should be received within five school days of the student’s return to schoolor the absence will become an unexcused absence. A note regarding a student’s absence, signed by astudent even with the parent’s permission, will be considered a forgery and the student will bedisciplined. A principal or assistant principal may require a physician’s verification of an illness at anytime.Tardy Policy (Grades 6 th -12 th )Tardiness will be handled in accordance with school and class rules. A tardy of more than 15 minutes toany class period becomes an absence. Students more than five minutes late to any class will beconsidered as skipping class. Possible consequences may include parent/student conference, detention,ISS or AEP placement.Page 33 of 84