Attendance Policy
Absences
- All student absences must be reported to the office by 8:00 A.M.
- The Attendance Line phone number is: 651-748-6341.
- At the end of an absence, students must bring a written excuse from home and turn it in to their homeroom teacher.
- A written excuse is required even if the absence has been confirmed by phone.
The excuse must include the student's name, the date(s) of the absence, and the reason for the absence.
- When students know that they will be gone for more than two days a note of explanation should be sent to the attendance office. Students will be issued a pre-absence form informing classroom teachers. Arrangements then may be made for assignments to be given before the absence.
Examples of Acceptable Excuses:
- Sickness
- Religious Holidays
- Family Emergency
- Medical Appointments
Examples of Unacceptable Excuses:
- Weather
- Travel
- Missed the Bus
- Babysitting
- Over Sleeping
Please Note:
- When possible, please arrange Doctor/Dentist appointments outside of the school day or when school is not in session.
- Classes begin at 7:45 a.m. students should plan arriving at 7:35 a.m.
- Students are discouraged from arriving before 7:15 a.m.
- Early arrivals will wait in the cafeteria until the sound of the first bell.
- In order to keep class interruptions to a minimum, students leaving early should bring a note to the office prior to school starting; a pass will be issued excusing them from class.
Attendance Review Process
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School attendance is mandatory under Minnesota State Law. State laws are specific in pointing out parental and administrative responsibilities in the matter of school attendance. |
Student attendance will be reviewed when a student reaches the benchmarks of 6 , 10 and 13 days out of school.
In the event a student misses 6 days of school, the student's teaching team will be informed, the student advocate will conference with the student to review his/her circumstances, and a letter of concern will be sent by the student advocate informing parents/guardians that their child has been absent 6 days.
As a student reaches subsequent attendance benchmarks, the student assistance team (SAT) will review his/her attendance; the teaching team will be informed; a conference with the student and their parent may be requested; and a letter of concern may be sent by school administration to parents informing them of their child’s attendance record.
The student assistance team (SAT) is comprised of school administration, grade level counselors, school nurse, school psychologist, student advocate, chemical awareness counselor, and the police liaison officer.
When warranted, the student and parent/guardian will receive a notice informing them of the need to provide a doctor's letter with each absence. The need to provide a doctor's written excuse would extend for the duration of the school year.
Unexcused Absences or Truancy
If a student is absent without lawful excuse on three or more days or any part of the school day, they are considered as truant. Truancy is violation of Minnesota State Law. If a child has three unexcused absences, the school is legally required to notify the parent or guardian that the child is a “continuing truant”. If the child has seven unexcused absences, they are then considered “habitually truant”. The school is required to report to the appropriate county agency that the student is in violation of the compulsory attendance laws. Both Ramsey and Washington counties have truancy intervention programs that work with John Glenn Middle School.
Tardy to School
Students who are tardy to school must first report to the office for an admit slip. Students who are tardy to school more than 4 times during any trimester will be required to attend a lunch detention or after-school detention; each subsequent tardy during the trimester will result in a lunch detention or after school detention.
Students who miss one class period or more due to tardiness are expected to make-up this time in after-school detention or with a classroom teacher.
Tardy to Class
The classroom teacher will handle and keep records of all student's tardiness to class. When, in the judgment of the teacher, a student's tardiness pattern has become chronic (usually 3-4 tardies), they will be assigned after-school detention to serve with the teacher. If the student refuses to stay or continues to be tardy, the teacher will refer the student to administration.
