2024-2025 East Sandy
Attendance Plan
“ON TRACK” for attendance means that students miss less 5% of Instructional Days in the school year. This would be less than 9 days per year.
School attendance COUNTS! Every absence from school interferes with your child’s opportunity to learn. There is a growing body of research showing that Chronic Absenteeism, usually defined by researchers as missing 10% or more of the school year (including excused and unexcused absences), has a significant negative effect on student achievement and may put a student at academic risk.
The goal for East Sandy Elementary is that students miss no more than 5% of the school year, in an effort to help every student be successful now and in the future.
What Can You Do?
- Develop a consistent bedtime and morning routine.
- Minimize activities involving bright lights, excitement, or stress in the hour before bedtime (i.e. video games, cell phones, television, etc.)
- Avoid missing school unless a child is sick (i.e., contagious prevents them from focusing on school tasks, etc.)
- Check with our School Nurse or Main Office staff if you are not sure when to keep your child at home due to illness and/or your student has a chronic illness challenge.
- If your child seems anxious about going to school, talk to an administrator, teacher, school support staff, or trusted family friend for advice on how to help your student feel comfortable attending school.
Types of Absences
- Valid Excused Absence: (ie., illness (mental or physical), family death, family emergency, religious holiday, medical appointment
- Guardian Excused Absence: An absence excused by a parent/legal guardian within up to five school days (1 week) of absence occurring.
- Parents must call the Main Office or send excusing the absence(s). The limit is five (5) days each school year per Canyons District policy 500.35; any additional absences without approved verification will be considered unexcused.
- Unexcused Absence: Any absence without a valid excuse.
- Education/Vacation Leave: A student may be allowed up to ten days for education/vacation leave in a given school year.
Communication Procedure for Valid Excused Absences
- Medical Appointment: Parent provides a note from a health care provider to the Main Office.
- Family Death, Family Emergency, Religious Holiday: Parent provides notification to the Main Office that the student will be absent.
- Education/Vacation Leave: Prior to education leave, parents are required to submit and complete an Education Leave/Vacation Form for approval. Teachers will complete the “Work to Be Completed” section and determine a reasonable due date.
What happens if my student has more than 5 absences?
- Phone call or email from the teacher and/or attendance secretary. They will inquire if the student is doing ok, and ask what the school can do to support the student.
- 5 absences – First Attendance Inquiry Letter sent to parent/legal guardian to inform them of where their child is at in terms of missing school.
- 10 – absences – Second Attendance Inquire Letter sent to parent/legal guardian, conference with school administrator. School based interventions reviewed.
- 15 – or more unexcused absences – Third Attendance Inquiry Letter sent Certified Mail to parent /legal guardian, conference with School and Administrator.
