Attendance Policy
Arrival time: 7:15am
Tardy bell: 7:30am
Dismissal bell: 2:35pm
All absences accumulate toward attendance percentage and the school's report card.
Any student not in their seat by 7:30am will be marked absent (A) by the teacher for the AM and PM day periods. Students arriving after 7:45am or leaving school before 2:35pm must be checked in/out by a parent/guardian listed in PowerSchool or on the student information update form showing proper ID. THe office will change absence codes for full or half day absences as appropriate, as listed below:
Tardies (T)
Students should be sitting at their desk in class at the 7:30am bell. Students not in their seat at this time will be marked tardy or absent by the teacher. Students arriving at the building after 8am must be signed in by a parent/guardian in the office then head to class. Tardiness not only deprives your child of valuable classroom experiences, but it also disrupts the continuity of the lesson for the other students. We are asking that you help your child develop a responsible work ethic by making sure they are present on time and ready to learn.
A few tips to help your family:
- Adequate rest
- Lay out clothes the night before
- Get backpacks ready and place close to the door
- Calm morning to set the tone
Unexcused Absences (W)
These include absences due to family emergencies and illness/injury of the student without doctor/dentist visit documentation. The office must be notified of the reason for these absences by phone, email, or note. These also include absences due to travel, vacations, events/activities (such as ball games or concerts), car trouble, personal business, sleeping in, etc.
Excused Absences (E)
These absences include illness/injury with doctor/dentist visit documentation, funerals or court appearances with documentation, religious holidays, TPS school tours or shadowing with documentation, or non-TPS school tours or shadowing with prior notice to the office and documentation.
Absences will only be excused if the office is provided with documentation within 48 hours of the absence. Absence codes will not be changed after 48 hours. Please contact the school office by 7:45am when a student will be absent.
Regular and punctual attendance is mandatory for student success and continuity of instruction. We will follow all School Board Policies regarding attendance. There are a limited number of days a student may be absent before retention in a grade is mandated ( 10% of the school year) or a transfer comes under review. Transfers are reviewed each semester for attendance. Please notify the principal of any unusual circumstances or medical conditions to be considered. Students who lose their transfer will go back to their home school. TPS Board Policy 2206, Admission of District Transfer Students, also states that students must follow approved board policy for behavior as outlined in the Behavior Response Plan.
Parents are encouraged to monitor their student's attendance on PowerSchool. Log in information is available from the office.
Students with excessive absences will be reported to the District Attorney for non-attendance, per Oklahoma Compulsory Attendance Law.
Students attending Eliot on a transfer can have transfers revoked due to excessive absences or behavior challenges.
Early Release of Students
All students must be checked out through the office prior to normal dismissal time. Family members or other approved adults must be listed on the student's emergency form and show proper ID to sign a student out. Parents must wait in the office for students to be checked out early. Please note when a child is picked up early, he/she is missing the day's closing instruction from the teacher, causing the entire class to be disturbed. Please make every effort to schedule doctor and dentist appointments after school hours.
All absences must have a written or verbal explanation provided by the parent/guardian within 48 hours of the student's return to school. An absence for which no acceptable explanation is received shall be deemed truant.
Principals shall review all student's attendance records reflecting absenteeism more than 10% of the scheduled instructional time and shall decide, after such review, regarding a recommendation for retention or revocation of transfer based thereon.
Every absence (Pre-K - 5th) counts toward our building attendance becoming a portion of our state letter grade. So please make every effort to be here daily before 7:30am.
Parents/guardians shall be notified, in writing, of any recommendation for retention (non-promotion) or revocation of transfer due to excessive absenteeism (absences exceeding 10% of the scheduled instructional time). Retention/revocation of transfer actions due to excessive absenteeism may be appealed by the parent/guardian.
