Attendance Line: 403-228-5363
At Western Canada High School, we believe that regular and punctual attendance is essential to the pursuit and achievement of excellence.
The Attendance Policy at Western is based on CBE Administrative Regulation 6020 - Attendance of Students:
- Regular attendance is the responsibility of the student and parent or guardian.
- The role of the teacher is to encourage full attendance and support this by maintaining an accurate record of student attendance, sharing this information with students, and parent/guardians as required, and reporting student attendance concerns to administration.
- The administration, with support from teachers, counsellors, and parents/guardians, is responsible for working with students to resolve critical attendance problems.
Procedures
Parents/guardians of students under the age of 18 are expected to phone the office to report a student's absence using the Attendance Line (403-228-5363). Students 18 years of age or older are responsible for calling in their own absence.
All absences must be reported prior to 2:00 PM to be recorded for that day’s attendance report. If parent/student contact is not made, an electronic messaging system will contact the home indicating the student absence. It is expected that students will communicate directly with teachers regarding absences and missed work. An explained absence does not excuse students from completing assignments or assessments.
The attendance lines are open 24 hours a day; therefore attendance messages may be left at any time. If the attendance record needs to be adjusted (e.g. student “late” instead of an “absence”), it is the student’s responsibility to obtain an Absence Correction Form from the Main Office and request the teacher complete it. Students and parents can access attendance records online.
On or before the third absence in a course, the teacher shall discuss attendance with the student outlining the concern, expectations and future action.
On or about the fifth absence in a course, the classroom teacher shall contact the home by email, phone or in writing to inform parents of students under the age of 18 of student absences, and to discuss the effect of irregular attendance on student achievement.
On or about the eighth absence in a course, a referral, specifying the dates absent, shall be sent to administration.
If student attendance and tardiness continues to be a problem, a number of administrative initiatives will be taken. Conferences with parents, attendance improvement plans, and course withdrawals are all possible options.
Administrative action (in consultation with parents/student/teacher) may include, but is not limited to: suspension, involvement of the guidance counsellor, area specialist, or other such action that is deemed appropriate.
Should students or parents have any questions or concerns about attendance please contact the designated administrator for alphabetical groupings:
- A-G Mr. S. Wiebe
- H-O Mr. G Bondy
- P-Z Ms. M. Scharf
Lates
Students coming late to class lose valuable context and learning time and interfere with the learning of their classmates. Western Canada High School’s goal is to promote the best conditions for learning and teaching and to foster habits that prepare students well for the world of work.
It is expected that all students be in class prepared to begin work at the beginning of the class (i.e. when the bell rings). Students who come late to class are held accountable and subject to disciplinary action. Lates will be recorded by teachers into the MyCBE / PowerSchool portal for parents and students to track.
Sign Out Book
Students leaving the building during class time for an appointment, etc. are required to sign out in the Office. Parents of students under the age of 18 are still expected to phone in prior to the student leaving to excuse and explain these absences.
Extended Absence
An Extended Absence Form should be completed and submitted to the Assistant Principal for absences longer than three days. These forms are available from your Assistant Principal and must be submitted before the absence occurs. An extended absence from school seriously jeopardizes student achievement and should only result from situations of serious illness or considerable emergency. Employment or vacations are not conditions of emergency and are not considered to be valid absences according to the Education Act. Although students and parents are asked to fill in a form notifying the school of any extended absence, this does not excuse the student from attendance or the work missed. Students are expected to make up assignments, tests and quizzes for absences that are explained (valid by definition of the Education Act). An excused absence is not necessarily the same as an explained absence. The Education Act defines explained absences as sickness, religious holidays, school suspension, or expulsion from school. Students should discuss any extended absences with their teachers prior to the absence occurring.
Delayed Assessment/Absence From An Exam
Students will have advance notice of examinations. Students are expected to write examinations on the determined date. When a student is required to be absent or is ill on the day of a scheduled evaluation, a parent must contact the teacher by email or voicemail prior to the scheduled exam being written. Another opportunity will be provided immediately upon the student’s return to school assuming that the absence is also explained by the parent through the Attendance Line (403-228-5363). Failure to do so will result in a zero. Individual circumstances may merit consideration upon consultation with the student’s Assistant Principal and their teacher. Medical documentation may be requested by administration in order to grant permission for a rewrite.
While students will be required to complete all assessments, they may forfeit the opportunity to have a particular assessment counted at full value if they fail to contact the teacher about an absence prior to the assessment being given or if the reason for absence is deemed to be unacceptable. Parents will be contacted regarding students whose absences are not explained.
