School requires all students to attend school regularly in accordance with Wisconsin state law. The Random Lake Middle School’s educational programming is based on the presence of a student and requires the continuous attendance of a student for all instruction and classroom participation. Accordingly, the state of Wisconsin and the Random Lake School Board (Board Policy 430) support regular attendance.

Definition of Wisconsin Statute:  Compulsory Attendance

Wisconsin state statute (s.118.15) requires school attendance of a child ages six to 18 unless he/she: (1) is excused, (2) has graduated, or (3) is enrolled in an alternative education program. The law further requires that any person having under his/her control a child between the ages of six and 18 shall require the child to attend school regularly during the full period and hours that school is in session until the end of the school term, quarter, or semester of the school year in which the child becomes 18 years of age. Wisconsin Statute 118.15 and 118.16 also states that a parent may excuse a student for up to 10 days in a school year for any reason.  A written excuse provided by a doctor exempts students from the total 10 day absence count.

It is the responsibility of the parent to provide reasons for their child’s absence. It is the responsibility of the school principal to determine whether the absence is acceptable (excused) or not acceptable (unexcused). Students and or/parents who violate Wisconsin Statutes may be referred to the courts system and or human services for review.

Attendance Definitions:

 There are four types of student absences. They are categorized as follows:

I. Exempt Absence: Students who are absent for part or all of the school day due to a court appearance, documented medical appointment, school function, and/or immediate family funeral.

II. Pre-Approved Absence: Students who know they will be absent for all or part of a school day must notify the office at least 24 hours before the date of their absence.

III. Excused Absence:

Excused absences are those absences in which the school administration has excused the student from the school and allows the student to make up assignments missed.  Excused absences fall into two categories;

• Parent Request Excused:  Parent Request Excused absences include medical appointments, hunting trips, weddings, vacations, etc.  If the parent request excused absence is for an appointment, the student will be required to provide a note from the provider verifying attendance at the appointment.

• Unexpected / Illness Absences:  These are absences in which a student becomes ill/sick.  In order to excuse your child on these days, please call the middle school office before 9:00 AM to notify school your child is ill. If a call is not possible, a call or note MUST be provided on the day of return with the student.  It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian and the student to ensure this policy is followed.  If no call is received or a note is not provided on the day of return, the absence will be recorded as unexcused.  Unexpected absences include illness, death in the family, etc.  In order to be excused from school, the reason for absence must be approved by school administration.  If the number of absences exceeds twenty for the school year, a doctor’s excuse will be required.  If for some reason a student is unable to obtain a medical excuse, the parent is expected to contact the Principal to explain the reason.

Any student that has an appointment with a doctor, dentist,  therapy provider or court should provide verification of the appointment.  Many of the doctors and dentists currently provide the student with this documentation.   Providing this documentation excuses the absence from being a part of the parent excused 10 days as mentioned in the definition section above.

IV.  Unexcused Absence:  This includes, but is not limited to, tardiness, reporting late to school without an excuse that falls into one of the above categories, truancy/skipping, and/or failure to notify the office of the absence in accordance with school policy.

BEGINNING OF THE DAY

Students are to arrive at school in the morning at a reasonable time.  Those who do not ride the bus to school should not arrive earlier than 7:35 A.M.  Students are not to enter the halls until riders from the first bus enter the buildings. Do not go to lockers first.  Only those students who use our breakfast program are allowed to enter the cafeteria.

Before you report to your assigned first hour class each morning, you should take care of paying for lunch, using the restrooms, getting bus passes or any other business you may have.  By 7:50 A.M. students need to be in their first hour class prepared and ready to learn.

TARDY POLICY

Tardiness interferes with instruction and student learning. Students are expected to be on time for all classes. Students who are late for an individual class 3 or more times in a quarter will be given a detention by the teacher. Any further tardies for that class will be referred to and handled by the office.

Beginning of the school day tardy policy. If you arrive after the 7:50 bell you will be considered tardy and must obtain a pass from the office to enter your class. Morning tardies are considered part of the 10 “all or part of a day” absences under State law. 

PERMISSION TO LEAVE SCHOOL EARLY

In all situations, students must check in and sign out in the office prior to leaving the school building. Students are not to contact parents on devices other than the phone provided in the office or teacher’s classroom phone. Students who need to be dismissed before the end of the school day must bring a note from a parent/guardian requesting dismissal (that includes a reason for the absence) or a parent/guardian must telephone the school before classes begin in the morning at 7:50am. Students must sign out in the office before leaving.

 Upon returning to school from an appointment or arriving to school late, students must sign in at the school office. Students who leave campus leave at their own risk. Parents/guardians assume responsibility and liability for the time their child is off-campus during the school day unless the child is on a board approved, school-sponsored field trip.

MAKE UP WORK (ABSENCE)

All students with excused absences will be given the opportunity to make up work missed in accordance with the following guidelines:

1.      It is the student’s responsibility to contact the teacher to make arrangements for making up work missed during their absence from school. (see procedure below)

2.      Students who miss classes will be given the opportunity, whenever possible, to make up work missed when they return to school. Any class work assigned to the student on the yellow absence form will be expected to be completed and turned in when they return.

3.      Teachers will be asked to grant the number of days absent for makeup time of any classwork not given prior to departure. This provision applies to all work assigned during the absence.

4.      Examinations missed during an excused absence will be permitted to be taken at a time determined by the teacher. If a student had knowledge of an examination or project due date prior to the absence, the teacher can expect to administer the examination/project upon the student’s return.

Failure to obtain make- up work from the teachers upon returning to school is no excuse for not doing work missed. Failure to make up work missed could result in failure of classes.

Procedure for a Pre-Excused Absence: Students who have a planned, excused absence must bring a note from their parent/guardian at least 24 hours before departure to the middle school office outlining the reason and duration of the excused absence. Students will be given a yellow absence form to be filled out by each of the student’s teachers (core + specials). The student must turn the yellow sheet into the office prior to departure and a copy will be given to the student for reference. All homework listed on this form must be completed and turned in to the teacher upon return, unless other arrangements have been made with the teacher and noted on the form.

TRUANCY

"Truancy" means any absence of part or all of one or more school days during which the school attendance officer, principal or teacher has not been notified of the legal cause of such absence by the parent or guardian of the absent student, and also means intermittent attendance carried on for the purpose of defeating the intent of the compulsory attendance law. (Board policy 431)

HABITUAL TRUANT

A habitual truant is defined as a student who is absent from school without an acceptable excuse for part of or all of five or more days on which school is held during a school semester or 10 days throughout the year.

ATTENDANCE AT AFTER SCHOOL FUNCTIONS

Students not present at the end of the school day (and who don’t have a medically excused absence) will not be allowed to attend after school functions.