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Attendance

Please call to report any student absences to our attendance line before 8:30 a.m. The attendance number is 847-272-6884

Absences and Tardies
If a parent or guardian has not called the school before classes begin, the office assistant will make a reasonable attempt to contact the parent/guardian within two hours of the first class.  Absences which have been accounted for though telephone communication do not require a written note when a child returns to school.  If a child has a communicable disease, a note indicating that a child may return to school is required from the physician.  It is the responsibility of the student and/or parent/guardian to initiate make-up procedures for school work with the teacher.  All make-up work shall be completed within a reasonable time following the absence.

Excused Absences
Student absences for the reasons listed below are considered unavoidable and are considered excused absences:

  • Personal illness (If a student is absent for more than five days due to illness, a doctor's note is needed to make further days excused)
  • Family emergency
  • Death in the family
  • Medical and dental appointments which cannot be scheduled outside of the school day
  • Religious observances
  • Any other absence approved by the principal


Tardies

  • Students are expected to be on time to school every day.  Students who are late to school with no excused reason will be marked tardy.  If a student receives three unexcused tardies, they will serve a lunch time detention.
  • Passing time is built into the Field School schedule.  Students are expected to be in class on time.  Students who arrive to class late will initially be given a verbal warning.  Students who are subsequently late to class may be asked to make up missed time before or after school or during lunch, or serve before or after school detentions.  Habitual tardiness to class may result in a referral to the principal’s office, parent conference, and further disciplinary action.

Absenteeism/Make-Up  Work
Students are expected to be in attendance each day that school is in session unless absent for a valid cause. A student who has been absent is responsible for obtaining and completing all missing assignments. 

It may not be possible for a teacher to prepare work in advance for a planned, extended absence.  When a student has an unexcused absence as defined by the school code, teachers are not required to provide individual instruction outside of the student’s normal instructional period.  Students absent from school for a half a day or more are not permitted to attend and/or participate in any after school activities or events on the day of the absence. 

A student who has been absent is expected to contact his or her teachers after returning to school and arrange for making up missed work.  Generally, students who are absent will receive two days of make-up time for every day absent.   When there is a prolonged absence resulting in the student missing at least three (3) days of school, parents should call the school office to inquire about make-up assignments or to access the school website which lists daily homework assignment.   One day’s time may be needed for the office to obtain assignments for parents who wish to come to the school and collect them. 

Students are encouraged to contact classmates or access teacher webpages when they are absent for less than a three-day period to be informed of any homework assignments.

Family Vacations During the School Year
District 31 discourages the practice of parents taking their students out of school for family vacations on regularly scheduled days of instruction.  If such student absence becomes a family necessity, please contact the student's teacher and the school office.  It is the responsibility of the child to make up any any missed assignments within a reasonable period of time.  It may not be possible for a teacher to prepare work in advance for a planned, extended absences, therefore children will be given a reasonable time to complete the work after returning to school.

Truancy
Repeated absences from school without a valid reason is considered truancy.  The District will determine when a student is a truant, chronic or habitual truant, or a truant minor as determined by the School Code of Illinois.  The Superintendent will authorize appropriate staff to develop diagnostic procedures to be used for identifying the cause of unexcused student absenteeism that may include meeting with parents and teachers, family counseling and/or assistance from community agency services.

Parents Absent from Home
Parents who will be away for an extended time while their children are in school should give written notice to the school office and provide the name and phone number of the person responsible for the care of their children in their absence