Regular attendance is very important to success in school. It is expected that your child will attend school and be on time to school every day. If your child is absent, you must call the school at 651-744-5993 or 651-293-8665. All absences also require a phone call or written excuse from a parent or guardian. This excuse should include the child’s name, the date of the absence, the reason for the absence and the signature of the parent or guardian. If we do not receive a phone call or note of explanation, the absence will be considered unexcused.

The following are acceptable reasons for absences:

• Illness
• Religious Holidays
• Extreme family emergencies, such as a death in the family, a house fire, etc.
• Scheduled doctor or dentist appointments

The following are unacceptable reasons for absences:

• Student needs to babysit
• Travel/vacation without prior approval
• Transportation problems (e.g., car won’t start)
• Missed the bus
• Overslept
• Weather

State law requires that children between grades K-6 attend school. After three cumulative days of unexcused absences, the classroom teacher will contact the parent or guardian by letter or phone call to share our concerns.

Families who have students experiencing excessive absences or tardiness may be referred to the Family Truancy Intervention Program (FTIP) for assistance. FTIP will send a letter to the family expecting them to attend a meeting with the Assistant Ramsey County Attorney. Families in the FTIP program will be monitored by the school’s attendance team. Further action by the County Attorney may be required if no improvement in attendance or on-time arrival is shown. Continued unexcused absences may result in a referral to the Ramsey County Child Protection office.

TARDINESS

Children who are tardy miss important instructional time! Please help your child be on time every day. However, if you know that your child will be tardy, please call or provide a written excuse for the tardiness. Children who arrive late at school should report to the office before going to class. Habitually tardy students will be treated as truant.