Attendance

Christina Hall, Attendance Secretary
whs.attendance@wcsb.us
850-926-7125 ext: 8615

Attendance Policy

Determination of when an absence is excused or unexcused is the responsibility of the principal or his/her designee. Parents/Guardians are required to complete an All-Day Absentee Form to submit to the attendance office within five (5) days of the student’s return to school for the absence to be considered excused. The All-Day Absentee Form may also be emailed to our attendance office or uploaded directly into FOCUS through the parent portal. Parent notes will be accepted for up to four (4) absences in a grading period. For all other absences, official third-party documentation is required. A student with four (4) or more unexcused absences per nine (9) weeks grading period will have an automatic failing grade of 59, or lower if earned, for that class unless a successful appeal has been made. Students who miss more than 10 minutes of a class will be considered absent from that class. THE ATTENDANCE POLICY WILL BE IN EFFECT FOR THE ENTIRE SCHOOL YEAR.

Pre-Arranged Absence
Permission Form

2023-2024
All-Day Absentee Form

2023-2024
Early Dismissal Form

Excused Absences

The student and /or parent must contact each teacher by the end of the second day after returning to school to obtain make-up work. The time frame for handing the work in will be determined by the teacher.

1. Illness or injury of the student.

2. Death in the family.

3. Legal reasons

4. Religious holidays or services which are mandated for all members of the faith and which cannot be observed outside the regular school day.

5. Other individual student absences beyond the control of the parent or student, as determined and approved by the principal or the principal's designee.

Unexcused Absences

Any student who misses a class with an unexcused absence is required to contact each teacher by the end of the second day after returning to school to obtain make-up work for half credit. Failure to obtain make-up work within the two days will result in the student's loss of the right to make up the work for half credit (at teacher discretion how much less than half to count work).

1. Truancy

2. Missing the bus

3. Trips not pre-approved

4. Car Troubles

5. Hunting, fishing, attendance at games

6. Birthdays or other celebrations

7. Gainful employment

Tardies

Students arriving during first period should report directly to class if they arrive before 7:40 A.M. Students arriving after 7:40 AM should report to the Attendance Office. Students are considered tardy to class if they are not in the room when the bell rings. Student arriving to any class (without permission) 5 minutes after the bell rings are considered skipping, and students arriving to any class (without permission) 10 minutes after the bell rings are considered absent. Oversleeping, car breakdowns and missing the bus are examples of unexcused tardies. When students accumulate 4 or more unexcused tardies in a class during a semester they may be given a disciplinary consequence by the teacher or administrator. Upon accumulating 8 or more unexcused tardies in a class during a semester, the student will be referred to the Student Affairs office.