Green Hope High School

Green Hope High School Attendance Policies

Attendance at Green Hope High is taken very seriously. We know that there is a direct relationship between attendance and student success. The more students are in the classroom, the more opportunities they have to be successful. We also know that from time to time it is necessary to be out of class. Please use the links below to help answer your questions about what to do when you are absent.

Quick Reference Topics

What do I need to do if I am absent?

The first day that you return, be sure to bring a note from a parent, doctor, etc. to the Attendance Office. Notes should clearly list the student’s name, the date(s) of absence, and the reason for absence. Notes must be signed by a parent or legal guardian. Also be sure to talk with your teachers about the work you have missed. You will only have a limited amount of time to make up that work.

What do I need to do if I am arriving late or leaving early?

Students needing to leave before the end of the school day must present a note from a parent/guardian to the Attendance Office. This note must include a date, time, the student’s name, and the reason for leaving. Notes will be confirmed with a parent/guardian before the student is released. Notes must be dropped off at the Attendance Office before the school day starts. Students who return to school before the day is over must sign back in. Otherwise, they are marked absent for the rest of the day. Additionally, failing to sign out properly could result in disciplinary action.

Students who arrive to school late must sign in at the office. Please also note that if half of the class is missed, the student will be marked absent for the entire class period.

What makes an absence excused or unexcused?

Most unexcused absences are the result of students not bringing notes for their absences within the two-day window.

For all other absences where a note is present, Green Hope must follow policy that the state has set forth for excusing absences. There are seven reasons that the state has listed as acceptable reasons for excused absences. They are: (1) Illness or Injury; (2) Quarantine; (3) Death in the Immediate Family; (4) Medical or Dental Appointment; (5) Court or Administrative Proceedings; (6) Religious Observance; and (7) Educational Opportunity. Please note that Educational Opportunities require approval from the principal prior the absences. Click here for the forms for Excused Absence for Religious or Educational Reasons.

See School Attendance & Student Accounting document published by the Department of Public Instruction for greater explanation of state attendance policy. Also, see Wake County Board Policy 6000 and Wake County Board Rules and Procedures 6000.

What is the “two-day rule”?

Wake County Board Policy 6000.4 requires that notes to excuse an absence be submitted within two days of the student’s return to school. Failure to do this results in the absence being permanently marked as unexcused.

Why am I getting letters and phone calls about my absences?

Green Hope is required by state law to alert parents when their student is absent. Plus, Green Hope’s goal is to keep parents as informed as possible.

Phone calls are made by an automated machine at the end of each day. Even if we know exactly where the student was, the machine will still call.

Letters are sent to parents when students reach five and ten absences. These letters are also a requirement of state law. The intent is to ensure that parents are aware that students could lose credit for their courses once they exceed 10 absences. Also, we hope that it gives parents some knowledge of the resources that are available at Green Hope to address attendance issues. Please note that these letters are sent whether or not the absences are unexcused or when a student has a well-documented excused reason for being absent.

How do Senior Exam Exemptions work?

Seniors may be exempted from their final exams in January and June if the following criteria are met:

** An “A” average with 3 or fewer excused absences for the course

** A “B” average with 2 or fewer excused absences for the course

** A “C” average with 1 or fewer excused absences for the course

There are few important notes about exam exemptions. First, no senior can be exempt from state testing including End-of-Course Tests, VoCATs, and state field tests. Second, school-sponsored field trips and activities do not count toward exam exemptions. Third, class periods missed because of administratively assigned In-School-Suspension (ISS) will count towards exam exemptions. Last, if a student has any unexcused absences in a course, they cannot be exempt.

Who do I contact if I have questions?

Attendance Office — Judy Lutter, jlutter@wcpss.net

Administrator Working With Attendance Issues – Christopher Clayton (Asst. Principal), cclayton@wcpss.net, 380-3700

Attendance Appeals Information

When are attendance appeals necessary?

Wake County Board Policy 6000 states that students who exceed 10 absences in any course will automatically lose credit for that course. The Board of Education has also given principals the authority to waive this policy and give the student the grade they have earned when there are extenuating circumstances that explain the excessive absences.

We recognize fully that some absences are unavoidable and commend students who work hard to catch up the work they have missed because of difficult circumstances. Our intent with this letter is to invite parents and students who have these extenuating circumstances to appeal the attendance policy.

How do I know if I need to file an appeal?

Green Hope staff will be in touch with any student who needs to file an appeal long before they reach 11 absences. Also a letter will be sent to each student and their parents explicitly stating that they need to file an appeal. If you have specific questions, please contact the Attendance Office. Also, students and parents are invited to request a copy of their up-to-date attendance profile at any time.

How do I file an attendance appeal?

Senior attendance and exemption appeals are due no later than noon on (TBD). Attendance appeals should be addressed to Mr. Clayton, Assistant Principal.  Click Here to download a copy of the senior appeal form.

Attendance appeals for the Fall 2012 Semester Attendance for 9th, 10th, and 11th graders are due no later than noon on (TBD). Appeals should be addressed to Mr. Clayton, Assistant Principal. Click Here to download a copy of the appeal form.

For an appeal to be considered, the student must:

• Submit an appeal form;
• Submit a statement from the student explaining the circumstances causing the absences and giving a rationale for granting the waiver;
• Submit a statement from the parent or guardian supporting the appeal waiver and giving any additional information necessary;
• Submit a statement from a Green Hope staff member (ex: Counselor, Intervention Coordinator, Teacher, Asst. Principal, etc.) who has been working with the student during the semester to develop strategies for making up school work and for being at school more frequently; and,
• Submit a doctor’s note to substantiate any medical reasons for requesting the appeal.

If for some reason any of these items are not possible/feasible, the student or parent should contact Christopher Clayton, the Assistant Principal working with attendance appeals, at 380-3700 or via email at cclayton@wcpss.net.

In some cases, Green Hope staff members are well aware of the extenuating circumstances that have caused excessive absences. In many cases, these are medical issues where the parents have been working with the school throughout the semester to ensure that the student remains successful in their classes. Even in these cases, we still need a completed appeal form. Essentially, we need a formal request on file to waive the policy.

What goes into making decisions about appeals?

Ultimately, the decision as to whether the appeal is granted or not is solely the decision of the principal. In making the decision, the principal will consider the student’s statement on the appeal, any documentation in the student’s attendance file, disciplinary records from the semester, grades in classes where the student has exceeded 10 absences, feedback from teachers and counselors, etc. The goal is to look at as much information as possible and to be as fair as possible to students while still following Wake County Board Policy.

When will I know the outcome of my appeal?

Appeals are not decided until all grades and absences for the semester are known. Therefore, the principal will not review appeals until exams have been scored and teachers calculate the final grade. During the spring semester, seniors will be notified prior to graduation practice.

Who do I contact if I need help with the appeals process or if I have questions?

All questions about the appeals process should be directed to Christopher Clayton, the Assistant Principal working with attendance appeals, at 380-3700 or via email at cclayton@wcpss.net. Please do not hesitate to contact Mr. Clayton with questions. Often a proactive question can alleviate problems or frustrations later!