Punctuality, attendance, and reliability are essential values. Tardiness and irregular attendance cause valuable learning time to be lost and takes time away from opportunities. Regular attendance and punctuality are keys to a student`s academic success, as there is a direct relationship between regular, punctual attendance and success in school. In addition to academic success, regular school attendance has positive impacts on mental health and well-being and social development.

Parents must notify the school if a student will be late or absent for a class.
All emails regarding absences for anticipated reasons should be sent to cjs.office@lrsd.net.

Please read the attendance policy and expectations listed below:

• Parents will notify the school before 9:00 am on the day of the absence, should a student miss a class for any reason.
• All CJS families will be notified daily when students miss classes. This will be done via e-mail. If you receive an e-mail judged to be an error, please call the school, and contact the teacher to clarify the situation so that accurate data is entered in the information systems.
• Students who will be absent from school for an extended period must submit a Student Leave of Absence Notification form prior to their departure (see below).
• All absences incurred due to school organized activities (outings, committees, teams, etc.) are not included. 
• Please note that absences due to suspension will be included as an explained absence in the total number of absences.

Notification of accumulated absences:
Three (3) unexplained absences: Once a student has reached three (3) unexplained absences in any given course, you will receive an email from the CJS office.

Five (5) unexplained absences: If a student continues to accumulate unexplained absences and reaches five (5) in any given class, the teacher will have a conversation with the student and alert parents/guardians of the unexplained absences.

Eight (8) unexplained absences: Once a student reaches eight (8) or more unexplained absences, the student services teacher will initiate a conversation with the student and their parent/guardian with the goal of improving future attendance. Student specific planning may be initiated to help the student overcome barriers in maintaining regular attendance. 

If any of the absences in question are, in fact, justified, it is the parent/guardian`s responsibility to call the office to have the attendance codes corrected. 

Illness
Students who become ill during school hours are asked to report to the Administration Office and inform the secretary, who will telephone parents/guardians before the student can leave the building. In the event that no home contact can be made, the student will be looked after at the school.

Student Extended Leaves
Over the years, we have had a variety of requests from parents regarding extended leaves during the school year to accommodate family trips.

As your child is in high school and part of a semester system, their absence from school for an extended period (1-2 weeks) will have an adverse effect on their learning. It is also unrealistic to expect teachers to `pre-teach` or `re-teach` everything that a student misses due to absences. Therefore, all students who plan an extended absence must complete the `Student Leave of Absence Notification` form prior to departure.

This form ensures us that all absences are identified well in advance and places the onus of missed assignments and learning on the student. A great deal of learning occurs in the classroom and simply cannot be replicated later. Although we can appreciate the value of travel and the importance of family time, we continue to encourage you to do so within the dates set aside for school holidays.