Students
Student Absences and
Excuses
Regular and punctual school attendance is
essential for success in school. The committee does recognize, that parents of
children attending our schools have special rights as well as responsibilities,
one of which is to ensure that their children attend school regularly, in
accordance with Chapter76 of Massachusetts General Laws.
Therefore, students may be excused temporarily
from school attendance for the following reasons:
A child may also be excused for other
exceptional reasons with approval of the school administrator.
A student's understanding of the importance of
day-to-day schoolwork is an important factor in the shaping of his/her
character. Parents can help their children by refusing to allow them to miss
school needlessly.
Accordingly, parents will provide a written explanation
for the absence and tardiness of a child, unless contacted by phone. This will
be required in advance for types of absences where advance notice is possible.
In instances of chronic or irregular absence
reportedly due to illness, the school administration may request a physician's
statement certifying such absences to be justifiable.
Refer to the appropriate student handbook for
further details.
Adopted February 14, 2000
HIGH SCHOOL COURSE ATTENDANCE
The Sutton School Committee believes that regular
and timely attendance in all classes is a necessary part of the formula for
high school learning. Excessive absence or tardiness impedes the academic
preparation needed for post-secondary success in college, the military, or work
activity. Regular attendance also helps students learn responsible behavior,
show respect for the work of others, and get ready to meet the expectations of
employers.
To deter excessive absence or tardiness, the high
school administration, under the direction of the superintendent, may institute
procedures to encourage student attendance, including but not limited to the
following: suspension or revocation of
student parking rights, suspension or restriction of participation in
extracurricular activities, and modification of the credit earned for
completion of affected academic courses.
Any such procedure must conform to all
applicable laws and regulations and be enforced uniformly. In addition, a
written summary of any such procedure must be distributed to all students prior
to initial implementation or modification and published annually in the
handbooks for students and staff. Each procedure must do the following:
·
Establish a firm, clear, and published
process, which determines, based upon specific criteria, the actions(s) to be
taken due to non-attendance and tardiness;
·
Clearly identify categories of absences
and/or tardiness, which may be excused or unexcused;
·
Provide a mandatory notification system to
make parents aware of actions taken; and
·
Allow for an appeals process to review
actions taken because of excessive absences and/or tardiness.
Any procedure that affects credits earned for
coursework must insure that all grades are entered in the student’s record
without regard to attendance; only the amount of credit earned may be adjusted
for excessive absenteeism or tardiness.
Adopted June 16, 2003
Student Dismissal
The school is responsible for the safety of
children during the school day. Therefore, each school will follow established
procedures to validate requests for early dismissal to assure that children are
released only for proper reasons and into proper hands. in executing this
policy it becomes prudent that:
Not student be released from school early on the
basis of an invalidated telephone call.
Children of separated parents are released only
upon the request of the parent whom the court holds directly responsible for
the child and who is the parent or guardian indicated on the school record.
Exclusions and Exemptions From School Attendance
Adopted February 14, 2000
Denial of Admission
Denial of admission means the withholding of the
privilege of enrolling in a school of the district.
The following shall be the grounds for denial of
admission to school or diversion to an appropriate alternative program:
Graduation from the twelfth grade of any school
or receipt of any document evidencing completion of the equivalent of a
secondary curriculum;
Failure to meet the requirements of age, by a
student who has reached the age of six years at a time after the beginning of
the school year, as fixed by the school committee as provided in Massachusetts
General Laws;
Having been expelled during the same school year
from this district or any district in the Commonwealth;
Not being a resident of the district and the
district has opted not to participate in the School Choice Law;
Failure to comply with provisions of the
Massachusetts Early Immunization Law.
Adopted February 14, 2000
PARKING
Because parking space is limited on the present
campus used by all of the Sutton Public Schools, the School Committee desires
to make parking available as widely as possible consistent with public safety.
However, it is to be understood that parking on school property is a privilege
and not a right.
The Superintendent shall develop and maintain
procedures to govern parking on the schools’ campus. Where appropriate, and at
the discretion of the Superintendent, responsibility for the development and
maintenance of procedures may be delegated to building-level administrators for
those parking areas that are designated for use by persons present in a
particular building.
In developing, maintaining, and enforcing parking
procedures, the primary considerations shall be to ensure access to all areas
of the campus for emergency vehicles, to provide protection of town property,
and safety for pedestrians. Procedures shall give priority for parking to staff
and visitors (for whom public transportation is not available); to the extent
that parking spaces are made available to students, this shall be done by
seniority or in some similar manner that is applied consistently.
In order to accomplish these goals, parking
procedures may include the assignment of parking spaces to designated
individuals. In addition, they should:
Adopted, April 28, 2003
Pregnant Students
School‑age mothers, unless they receive adequate
assistance, might drop out of school without acquiring the necessary education
or without marketable skills.
Pregnant students will be permitted to continue
in school in all instances when continued attendance has the sanction of the
expectant mother's physician. The physician's approval of this continued
attendance must be on file at the school. The student and her physician, in
cooperation with the school staff, will develop an appropriate educational plan
if it is agreed she should no longer attend school regularly.
Every effort will be made to see that the
educational program of the student is disrupted as little as possible; that
health counseling services as well as instruction are offered; that return to
school after delivery is encouraged; and that every opportunity to complete
high school is provided.
Adopted January 3, 2000
Student Discipline
The Sutton Public Schools recognize the
importance of good discipline in order to conduct a meaningful learning
environment. Without valid discipline the school system cannot discharge its
primary responsibility in the development of citizenship. In order to maintain
discipline, staff must be able to proceed with the assurance that support will
be forthcoming from the principals, superintendent, and the School Committee.
The administration shall review annually, and
distribute to all students and employees at the beginning of the school year,
the Student Handbook which shall include the Student Discipline Code. The
following guides to good discipline are expected:
·
Good discipline is positive rather than
negative in nature,
·
Good discipline shall be fair, dignified,
and in good temper, and
·
Conferences with parents, when required
by teachers and/or administrators, should be effectively employed to bring
about acceptable behavior.
The School Committee extends to all school
employees the authority to enforce policy and regulations governing student
behavior. Students are expected to practice good discipline.
Adopted November 1996, Reviewed April 28, 2003
ENFORCEMENT OF FEE COLLECTION
It is the policy of the Sutton School Committee
to equitably enforce collection of fees implemented by this committee. All
students who do not comply with payment of stated fees for sports, activities,
parking, and/or music lessons and have not requested or received a waiver from
the administration are subject to revocation of that activity of privilege.
Parking is assigned by the administration. A
student may have his or her privilege to park on school property revoked for
disciplinary reasons or non-payment of the parking fee. If the student parks on
school property without permission, after being warned by the administration,
his/her car will be subject to towing. The student will assume the towing
charge.
Similarly, all athletic, activity, and/or music
fees are due prior to the first game, lesson, or initial meeting of the
activity. The administration will work with coaches, faculty, parents, and
students to ensure communication of fees and due dates.
Students may set up a payment plan with the
administration. Students who set up a payment plan with the administration are
expected to pay each payment at the scheduled time. Failure to do so will
result in termination of his/her participation in that activity. In any
approved payment plan, all fees are to be collected in total before the midway
point of any activity, lesson, or sport.
Adopted April 28, 2003