TCDSB Policy Register   

ABSENTEEISM S.M.03 

Policy: 

Each school shall establish procedures to encourage and monitor the attendance and safe arrival of students in school. 

Regulations: 

1.         In September of each year every school shall adopt a procedure of reporting student absenteeism, and shall notify the school community accordingly.  

2.          The principal shall: 

(a)        request that  parents inform the school of their child's absence,  

(b)        contact as early as possible on the first day those parents who fail to inform the school of their child's absence,  

(c)        encourage parents to provide a note, stating the reason for their child's absence, 

(d)        develop procedures for monitoring student absenteeism in consultation with the Catholic School Advisory Council,    

(e)        arrange for the implementation of a specific procedure in order to check on daily absence/attendance,  

(f)         make every effort to ascertain the reason for chronic absenteeism/truancy  and  to ensure the return of the child to school, 

(g)        be required to document the efforts made to have the student return to school,   

(h)        refer, using the appropriate forms,  the case to the Curriculum Support Unit school social worker when a student has been absent for an unreasonable period of time (up to 20 accumulative days) without justifiable cause.