Attendance
Regular school attendance is essential to learning. It is important for you to be prompt for all your classes. Successful students are seldom absent or tardy. Students must attend school if they attend after-school activities.

Students are required by law to be in academic attendance for at least 300 minutes to be considered in attendance a full school day, and 150 academic minutes for a half of a school day. This total does not include our passing times or lunch periods.

Absence
When you are ill or if you need to miss school because of a visit to the doctor, your parents should call school at 429-3030 between 7:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. Parents may also call during non-business hours the night before and leave the school a message regarding your student's absence. If you are absent for three or more days, your teachers will provide assignments which your parent may pick up after school. Students who seek an excused absence for religious ceremonies or holidays, which are normal school days, will have such days counted as an absent day. The day must be counted as an absence on their attendance record.

Tardiness
A LATE ARRIVAL TO SCHOOL REQUIRES AN EXPLANATION. If you arrive late for school, you must immediately report to the office with a note of explanation from a parent or a note from your doctor if you are late because of a medical or dental visit. You must also arrive on time for all classes during the day. If you are late, you must have a note explaining your tardiness.

Vacations

Kirby School District 140 strongly encourages families to take vacations during school non-attendance times.  In the event your child will be absent from school due to a vacation, the absence will be considered unexcused.  Upon their return to school, they will receive information on missed assignments and class work/homework.  Any work missed due to vacations will not be included in the child’s grade average.

Teachers are not expected to re-teach material missed during the unexcused time away from school.  We consider the time spent in the classroom essential to the overall educational experience.  While we understand that there are occasions students must miss school due to family obligations, we ask that you help us in our mission to emphasize the value of education by making sure your child’s absence from school is kept to a minimum.

Truancy
A truant is defined as a child who is absent without valid cause. A chronic truant is defined as one who is absent without valid cause for 10% or more of the previous 180 regular attendance days (weekends and holidays do not count in this 180 day period). When it is determined that a child is truant, the parents or guardians are informed of their legal responsibilities, and the school will take appropriate disciplinary action. This may include contact with the Cook County Truancy Office and legal action through the Courts.