Attendance Line: 403-777-7370 ext. 1 or e-mail at Attendance e-mail

School Attendance & Truancy Policy

In order to be successful in school it is imperative that students attend on a regular basis and arrive on time.

As per the School Act and CBE’s Administrative Regulation 6020, all students age 6 to 16 must attend school regularly and punctually. According to Alberta Education, a student who has missed 10% (about 18 days) or more of school is considered chronically absent. Whether absences are excused (for example, illness, medical appointments) or unexcused (for example, vacations or family trips), the loss of instructional time is substantial and can negatively affect student learning and social development. Research indicates absenteeism is a stronger predictor of dropout rates than suspensions and test scores. Vacations and trips during the school year are strongly discouraged as it is extremely difficult for students to keep up with the rest of the class during these times and they often will fall behind in their school work. Our school calendar provides students with a sufficient amount of vacation time.

Students are expected to be in school and attending all of their classes while they are here. Students who are absent from school or specific classes during the day are considered to be truant (skipping) and there may be consequences for these unexcused absences, such as development of a school attendance plan.

Attendance Procedures

It is very important that your child attends school regularly and is punctual. Attendance is taken in each class. If your child is going to be late or absent, please notify the school. Did you know…You can track your child’s attendance in real-time by going to your MyCBE/PowerSchool account. Once teachers have submitted their attendance for the period you will be able to see it.

If your child arrives at school after 8:25 a.m., your child must come directly to the office to sign in and receive a late entry slip to get into class. This informs our staff that your child has arrived safely at school. Students who are late for school are responsible for contacting their teachers to learn what work they have missed.

If your child has an appointment or needs to leave early, you must first sign them out at the office. The secretary will notify the teacher to dismiss them from class and send them to the office.

The school office hours are from 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM Monday to Thursday and 7:30  AM to 12:30 PM on Friday. An answering machine will take messages outside of these hours for absences. Please call or e-mail the school office before 8:00 AM for a morning or all day absence or 12:00 PM for an afternoon absence, or send a note or e-mail to the school office prior to the absence or late arrival of your child. When leaving a message to report an absent or late child, please slowly and clearly spell the first and last name of the child, state the reason for their absence and your relationship to the child. Please ensure that you are not using a hands-free device and that the phone you are using is clear of static and noise so that we can understand the message. If we can’t understand your message the student’s absence will be recorded as unexcused. Any unexcused absences will receive a call and/or e-mail home notifying parents or guardians of the absence. If we have not been notified about an absence, you will receive an automated voice message. Students arriving late must come to the office for a late slip.

Extended Absence Policy

It is our responsibility to ensure families understand the effect that unnecessary absences may have on a student’s education. If the student will be absent more than five days, an appointment with the Principal or Assistant Principal is required and an Extended Absence Notice form must be completed and signed by the student, parents, teachers, Principal and Assistant Principal. The form must be completed at least two weeks prior to the student’s absence. It is the student’s responsibility to complete and keep up to date with all assigned work prior to departure for an extended absence. It is not the school’s or Calgary Board of Education’s responsibility to provide homework to students who will be away on an extended leave. Extra time will not be available in class to catch up on any work missed.