Attendance

The CPS Board of Education expects that each student maintain a 95% or better attendance rate. This means no more than 9 absences per school year. Good attendance is directly linked to good grades.

 

A parent signed absence note is required to be marked excused by each teacher. The note must be placed in the attendance office drop box to be cleared and filed as “excused” in the CPS computer system. Any absence not cleared by the attendance office becomes a “truant” absence. 18 truant absences in a year cause a parent/child to attend a CPS truancy court hearing. Students must be responsible for turning in all notes

 

Having the student in his/her first period class by 8:45 AM is the primary responsibility of the student and parent. When the student arrives past 8:45 AM five or more times, then the school issues a detention. Students who miss the first period lose a half day’s worth of attendance per the state of Illinois.

 

Once a parent is informed that their child is arriving late, then it is the parent’s responsibility to periodically call the attendance office at 534-3217, 534-3235 (English/Spanish), 534-3236 (English/Polish) to check the child’s computer swipe in time. Students with a chronic tardy problem will require a parent conference and may be detained in in-school suspension for one or more school days.

 

Taking children out of school early hurts their attendance and causes children to lose ½ day up to full day’s worth of attendance per the state. Parents must read and sign the early dismissal policy attached to the Emergency/Address change form.

Children who don’t feel well should first be checked by the school nurse to determine if an early dismissal is necessary. Parents are encouraged to schedule doctor’s appointments on school half days and days off.

The only valid reasons for a student to leave school early are: personal illness, family emergency, doctor's appointment, court date, and death in the family. No student will be given an early dismissal until the parent/guardian is contacted.

If the parent/guardian wishes to designate another individual to pick up the student, that person's name, address, and telephone number must be listed on the student's emergency form. In all cases, the person picking up the student will be asked for positive identification.

 

Students who cut one or more classes in a day will have their parent notified by phone. Each cut causes the child to lose a ½ day to a full day of attendance per the state of Illinois. Five outstanding detentions for cutting class requires a parent reinstatement as students are detained in in-school suspension. Parents of students who are identified as “chronic class cutters” will be referred to counseling through an appointment with the child’s counselor and/or the school social worker. These parents should call the attendance office regularly to check up on their child. Children who cut are automatically marked unexcused by their teacher and risk failing the class.

 

Students who are going on field trips or other school related activities must complete the field trip application form at least one day in advance of the activity. Those who do not comply will not be allowed to go on the trip. Teachers submit a list of approved students to the Attendance Office on the morning of the trip. Students who fail to show for the trip will be marked UNEXCUSED for the day OR if they swipe into school, they will get a cut for each class they fail to attend. Teachers will check in with the Attendance Office upon returning. Students will only be excused for the class periods they missed as a result of the trip.

 

 

Students and parents can view attendance in the Aspen Portal. Parents can also set up SMS text attendance triggers, email attendance triggers or both so they are notified when their student is marked absent or tardy. To set up attendance triggers, there are instructional videos on this CPS page. For triggers, fast forward to 3.28 on the English language video or to 4:38 in the Spanish language video.