Attendance
Father Michael Goetz actively encourages and promotes regular attendance. The Ministry of Education has made it very clear that “Where attendance has been identified as an essential component of a course and where a student, with his/her parents, has been appropriately counseled and provided with support and direction to promote regular attendance in the course and where the student is unwilling to attend regularly, such a student will normally fail to achieve credit for the course.”
In the event of any absence the parent/guardian is requested to notify the Attendance Office (905-277-0326) the morning of the absence. The parent/guardian is also required to send a signed and dated written note on the day of return. This is to confirm the absence and to state the reason for the absence; otherwise the absence will be considered truancy.
Bill 52, The Education Amendment Act, Learning to Age 18, 2006:
The Education Amendment Act, Learning to Age 18 received Royal Assent on December 20, 2006. This legislation requires that, as of December 20, 2006, all students under 18 years of age be in attendance at school unless they have already graduated or are otherwise excused from attendance at school. Legal reasons for being absent from school (e.g. receiving satisfactory instruction at home or elsewhere) continue to apply.
As a transition provision, 16 or 17 year olds who have not graduated and who stopped attending school before December 20, 2006 are not required to return to school. However, if these students subsequently do return to school, the requirement to stay in school until age 18 will apply to them. Students whose birthdays are between September and December are required to stay in school until the last school day in June of the year that they turn 18. Students whose birthdays are during the rest of the year must stay in school until their 18th birthday. Please note that this exactly parallels the previous rules around the school leaving age for 16 year olds.
The Dufferin-Peel C.D.S.B. remains committed to the success of all students and will continue to offer all available programming to ensure completion of the Ontario Secondary School graduation requirements.
Homework requests for prolonged absences may be made through the Attendance Office (905-277-0326). Please allow 24 hours for the collection of work.
Student Procedure
Upon return following an absence, the student is required to obtain an Admit Slip from his/her homeroom teacher in exchange for a parental signed note confirming the absence. If a student does not bring a parental/guardian note, the student will be marked as truant for the days absent and a mark of zero will be given.
Sign–In Procedures
A student who arrives at school after 9:00 a.m. must sign in through the Attendance Office.
Sign–Out Procedures
A student who is required to leave at some point in the school day for any reason must obtain a release slip. The release slip will be issued between 8:00 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. from the Attendance Office upon submission of a dated and signed letter from the parent/guardian. The release slip may be used as an Admit to Class Slip upon return. If a student leaves school without signing out, the absence will be considered a skip.
If a student feels ill during the day and wants to leave the school, the student must sign out through the Attendance Office.