Riverton High School is committed to academic excellence and understands that learning is increased with consistent attendance. The Jordan School District requires that all children achieve mastery in the basic skills, and any absence from school interferes with the child’s opportunity to master these skills. In an effort to increase student success, to prepare students for attendance expectations in their future careers, and to exemplify our commitment to excellence and leadership RHS has established an attendance policy. In accordance with Jordan School District Policy AA432, this attendance policy states the responsibilities of Riverton High School teachers, students, and parent/guardians regarding school attendance; defines absences and tardies, specifies loss of credit due to absences and tardies, and outlines attendance school make-up procedures to reinstate credit.
Attendance Policies
- Punctuality is an important life skill and tardiness is extremely disruptive to the educational process.
- RHS recognizes that students may have an occasional absence due to illness, emergencies, etc. In such cases, students may be excused but are responsible to arrange for make-up work.
Tardies
- Students are considered tardy if they are not in the classroom when the tardy bell rings.
- Students who arrive fewer than 10 minutes late to class will be marked tardy (T).
- Parents may not excuse a tardy.
Absences
- Absences must be excused by a parent within five school days.
- Absences may be guardian excused by calling the attendance office at 801-256-5810 between 7:00 a.m. and 2:45 p.m.
Truancy
- Students caught fraudulently excusing absences and/or tardies will be recorded as truant and are subject to school discipline.
- If students are truant (Z), they forfeit the right to earn credit on any assignment, test, or quiz given on, or due the day of the truancy.
School Excused/Vacation Release
- School excused absences (field trips and extracurricular activities) are not considered absences. School activities are marked with an (N) on Skyward. Students are still responsible to make up work missed in classes.
- Vacation Release paperwork must be completed and submitted to the Attendance Office BEFORE the student leaves on vacation. Vacation Release is marked with a (V) on Skyward.
Checkout Procedures
- Only legal guardians may check out students.
- Students must be checked out through the attendance office PRIOR to leaving campus.
- Please call 801-256-5810 to check out your student. Calling first thing in the morning for a checkout any time during the day and having the student pick up the checkout note is recommended.
- Students are still responsible to complete class assignments.
- You may not leave a message on the Attendance Office phones to check your students out. We often are unable to check our messages in a timely fashion due to the volume of student interaction in our office. Please be sure you talk with a secretary.
Excusing Absences
- Absences may be excused within 5 school daysby phone (801-256-5810) or note. Notes must be verified by a phone call. Please indicate both work and home telephone numbers on the note. Be sure notes are dated and signed by parents and include the students first and last name. Dates of days to be excused should be included along with the reason your student was absent.
Any time a student misses a class it is considered an absence. Any absences must be excused within 5 school days. Parents may excuse absences or checks in. Parents may also excuse a student to check out if they call or come in to the attendance office prior to the student leaving campus. Parent notes are accepted for excusals, not check outs, but will not be entered until verified per parent call. Attendance office will attempt to contact parent, or parent may call in to verify. Please indicate both work and home telephone numbers on the note. Be sure notes are dated and signed by parents and include the student’s first and last name. Dates of days to be excused should be included along with the reason your student was absent. E-mail messages sent to the school cannot be accepted to verify excused absences or to check a student out.
ATTENDANCE POLICY GOALS
- Develop student responsibility
- Develop quality citizenship
- Help students achieve success in their courses
- Prepare students for future employment
RESPONSIBILITIES OF STUDENTS
- Regularly attend and be on time to all classes
- Be present in assigned or designated areas at all times
- Follow proper check-in/check-out procedures
- Obtain make-up assignments from the teacher
RESPONSIBILITIES OF PARENT/GUARDIAN
- Notify attendance office of student absences within five school days of absence
- Notify attendance office PRIOR to student leaving campus if checking out
- The role of the parent/guardian is further summarized by the following:
Utah Compulsory Attendance Law (53A-11-101) requires every school age child to be in school. Parents/guardians are responsible for their children’s regular school attendance and may be charged with a misdemeanor if they fail to ensure their student’s regular attendance. Parents/guardians are responsible for notifying the school when an absence occurs within five school days of the absence.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF TEACHERS
- Keep an accurate roll of all student absences and tardies
- Discuss attendance issues with students
- Inform school administration of excessive absences with any student
RESPONSIBILITIES OF ADMINISTRATION
- Enforce and uphold Utah State Compulsory Education law
- Identify students with attendance issues and work cooperatively with parents/guardians and students to improve attendance
- Maintain earnest and persistent effort to improve student attendance
RESPONSIBILITIES OF ATTENDANCE OFFICE
- Inform parents and administrators of attendance problems
- Notify parents/guardians of excessive absenteeism by phone message, calling machine, or letter
- Review attendance daily and resolve discrepancies in student attendance records
- Provide check-in/check-out slips upon authorization by phone or in person by a student’s parent/guardian
| Attendance Codes | ||
| Type Code | Description | Category |
| A | Unexcused Absence | Unexcused |
| B | Absence Make-up | Unexcused |
| C | Check-in/out | Excused |
| D | In-school Suspension | Other |
| E | Guardian-excused Absence | Excused |
| F | Made-up/Cleared Absence | Excused |
| H | Home & Hospital | Other |
| K | Custody/detention/Crisis/Thrt | Other |
| L | Excused/Cleared Tardy | Excused |
| N | School-excused | Other |
| P | Present | Other |
| S | Out of School Suspension | Other |
| T | Unexcused Tardy | Tardy |
| U | Unexcused Check In | Unexcused |
| V | Vacation/Education Leave | Excused |
| W | Way Late Tardy | Unexcused |
| Z | Verified Truancy | Unexcused |
| Absence Reason Codes | ||
| A | Made up absence | |
| AD | Administration meeting | |
| CO | Counselor, psychologist, group session, PCCR meeting, ect. | |
| I | Check-in | |
| O | Check-out | |
| Q | Quarantine | |
| SP | In-and-out or out-and-in during same period | |
| SR | Sick room | |
| TS | Testing | |
| Z | Truancy | |
Jordan School District allows students to make application to an administrator to miss up to ten school days of each year for prior-approved education/vacation release. Students are still responsible to complete class assignments. Forms are available in the attendance office and must be signed by parent, teachers and administrator and then returned to the attendance office prior to student leaving on vacation. Students may take no more than ten prior-approved education/vacation release absences per year.
ACCESS ATTENDANCE RECORDS
Riverton High School provides computerized attendance information updated daily to assist parents/guardians and students. Students and parents/guardians may check class grades and attendance records through Skyward. A link is provided at www.rivertonhigh.org. In addition, parents may check attendance by calling 801-256-5810 between 7:00 am and 2:45 pm.
Attendance notifications may be sent to parents/guardians via email, phone message or text daily as attendance is marked. To activate Skylert’s parents/guardians need to log into Skyward with their login and go to Skylert. Inside Skylert check the boxes of the notification you want to receive and provide the email or phone numbers you want the alerts sent to. In addition, if you want to receive email notifications, verify under your Account Settings at the top menu that your Email Notifications are selected.