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Arcola Child Check / Attendance Reporting
Parents or Guardians are required to report an absence from school.- You may either contact the Attendance Office (610-831-5314) OR you may send an email to: attendance-ac@methacton.org.
- Parents are requested to call or email any time prior to 8:30 a.m. on the day of their child’s absence. An answering machine has been provided for your convenience.
- In the email of the message, parents must include their name, their child’s name, grade, and the reason for absence.
- Students are not allowed to report themselves absent.
- If a student’s absence is not reported, the school will contact a parent or guardian, at home, or at work so the student is accounted for. If a parent has not called or emailed to confirm the absence within two days, the days missed will be considered unexcused.
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Abscences From School
ABSENCES FROM SCHOOL
- Excused absence refers to absence for any one of a number of legal reasons. Excused absences include: death in the immediate family, subpoenaed court appearance, pupil’s illness, major religious holidays, pre-approved absence and other urgent reasons.
- If the attendance clerk does not receive a verbal or written explanation of the absence from the parent/guardian within two weeks, the absence will automatically be recorded as illegal.
- Consecutive absences of more than 3 days require a physician’s note.
- Written excuses/phone calls do not necessarily mean that the absence is excused. Such reasons as “visiting,” “away from home,” “missed the bus,” “overslept,” are classified as unexcused absences. Students who accumulate three unexcused absences will receive a” first offense” notice from the Attendance Office. Subsequent absences will be referred to the District Magistrate
- Trips must be approved prior to the trip to be considered excused (See family trips below).
Days absent because of a trip or tour will be considered excused only when a prior request form has been signed by the parents, and is on file in the school. Absences due to family trips without the prior request will be considered unexcused and may result in a first offense notice. Please note that only five (5) days will be considered excused for trips. Additional days will be considered unexcused per Methacton School Board policy.
If you have completed an educational trip form and your family is vacationing out of town, we do not expect you to call in each day. Your previously completed form will provide us this information for the duration of your child’s absence.
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Tardiness
TARDINESS
Lateness to class is a disruption to the educational process. Please call the Child Check Line at your child’s school if your child is late for any reason and leave a brief message.
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Early Departure
Early Departure
Please make every effort to obtain medical appointments after school hours. When an early dismissal is necessary, a parent must report to the main office. A photo ID (driver’s license) is required to sign students out of school early.
Please provide a written request for an early dismissal to the Attendance Office on the morning of the dismissal. For safety reasons, no child will be permitted to leave school alone other than at regular dismissal time.
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Family Trips
Family Trips
Family vacations and trips during the school year are discouraged. However, if your family is planning a trip please be sure to complete an Educational Trip Form AT LEAST TWO (2) WEEKS PRIOR TO YOUR TRIP.
Please refer to Arcola's website. Choose the Student Life tab in the top navigation. Choose "Student /Parent Handbook" under "Attendance" and “Family Trips” for more information.
