Attendance
A successful Oakwood education is the product of many factors, including classroom activities, students’ work outside of class, and appropriate parent support. A student’s regular attendance is key to achieving this success; therefore, repeated or extended absenteeism may result in a student’s dismissal or loss of credit for a course. Oakwood expects families to make every effort to minimize their child’s absences so they can benefit from the classroom activities.
Attendance Policies and Expectations
Lower School
Attendance is taken first thing in the morning in Lower School, within the first 30 minutes of the day. A late student may not be admitted to class without a tardy slip from the office.
If your child is ill or will be missing school for an appointment, please submit a Student Logistics Request (absence notification) within 30 minutes of the start of school. No distinction is made between “excused” and “unexcused" absences.
Upper School
In the Upper School, attendance is taken at the start of the day and during each subsequent class period, and no distinction is made between "excused" and "unexcused" absences. We believe that consistent and timely daily attendance is an essential component of full participation in the Oakwood program and also acknowledge that students may, for any number of reasons, occasionally miss all or part of a school day. To that end, students and parents/guardians should expect to be contacted by the school if a student's pattern of attendance is of concern to the school.
Students and parents/guardians should also note that the Upper School utilizes attendance thresholds for the purpose of granting credit in any given course. Students can miss up to ten class meetings in a semester (seven in a trimester) or twenty class meetings in a yearlong course, at which point they may be asked to withdraw from the course, may have their letter grade changed to Pass, may no longer be eligible for credit, and/or may have their enrollment contract withheld for the following academic year. (Absences that result from a religious observance, a documented medical condition, or participation in a school-sponsored activity such as a single- or multi-day field trip or athletic competition, do not count toward a student's ten class meetings threshold.)
All Divisions
In all divisions, students must attend a minimum of half of their classes on a given day to participate in after school activities, unless authorized otherwise by the principal. This includes athletic practices and games, as well as music or drama rehearsals and performances.
Students who miss school due to an illness for five consecutive days or more need to provide a doctor’s note supporting the absence when returning to school. While this does not require a doctor’s visit in every case, it presumes a conversation with the doctor’s office regarding the illness, and it provides the school with the assurances that the illness is no longer communicable and that the child may safely return to school.
Reporting an Absence in Attendance
Parents are required to notify the school if their child is ill or will be missing school for an appointment by submitting the Attendance: Student Logistics Request form within 30 minutes of the start of school on the day of the absence.
Students are expected to stay home if they are ill. Upper school students are expected to communicate with their teachers and principal in advance of planned absences.
Making Up Missed Work
Students are expected to promptly make up work missed because of absences; a homework assignment due on the day of an absence should be submitted the next time that class meets upon the student’s return to school. Work that is considered late is subject to the individual teacher’s policy regarding accepting and/or penalizing late work. Teachers are not obligated to allow students missed in-class assignments.
If the student is absent for a prolonged period of time, arrangements should be made with each teacher to establish a reasonable schedule for makeup assignments. Please note that the teachers may have different policies for allowing credit for late work. Students are responsible for any communication regarding makeup work and should not rely on reminders from their teachers.
If upper school students need homework assignments during an absence, they should rely on assignments posted on Veracross. Students should also communicate with teachers via email if questions arise about assignments.
Students arriving late or leaving early are expected to turn in all assignments due that day, even for classes they do not attend. If a student cannot locate a particular teacher to submit work, they can deliver their assignments to the office.
Planned Absence
We discourage planned absences such as vacations or trips during the school year. Medical and dental appointments should be scheduled outside of school hours if possible.
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Teachers are not required to have work ready for a student to take with him or her during a planned absence.
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Parents of students who know about the planned absence before they leave are responsible for notifying the office that they will be gone, and students are expected to let their teachers know.
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If a test or project was assigned before the student left, the student is responsible for taking it or turning it in immediately upon return, if not before.
Parents are strongly encouraged to check the School Calendar on the Family Portal to avoid scheduling family trips during school time, as these are not excused absences.