Attendance & Main Office
CHECK OUT PROCEDURE
For the safety of our students, we require written authorization in advance to release students. You must allow two hours to process these requests. This may be accomplished in several ways:
- Send a written note with your student in the morning, a pass will be prepared and handed to your student to leave as instructed.
- Email the GWHS attendance office at gwhs-attendance@dcsd.k12.nv.us
- A parent/legal guardian is required to come to the front door and sign their student out.
When submitting written notification please include the following information: student’s name, date, and time student is to leave, and indicate if student will be returning.
If you are having your student picked up by someone not on your Infinite Campus contact list, that person will be required to come into the front office sign your student out and provide a photo ID.
These students will not be released during lunch period without a parent/guardian physically coming to the school to sign them out and sign them back in.
For more information regarding the School District's Board Policy Attendance, please view the Board Policy 504BP and Administrative Regulation 504AR.
CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM
GWHS will be monitoring the reason(s) students are absent from school. What does this mean to you and your student(s)? It means that parents need to be aware as to why their student(s) are missing school. Student/Parent ATTENDANCE APPEALS will not be approved if a student missed more than 10 percent of class without a truly legitimate reason for being absent. If students are missing school due to avoidable reasons, they will be in jeopardy of not earning credit, repeating classes, and ultimately affecting their graduation status. Please review Board Policy Board Policy 504BP and Administrative Regulation 504AR to review which absences are avoidable and unavoidable.
The federal definition of chronic absenteeism that State Education Agencies must use in reporting absenteeism is as follows: A student is absent if he or she is not physically on school grounds and is not participating in instruction or instruction-related activities at an approved off-grounds location for the school day. Chronically absent students include students who are absent for any reason (e.g., illness, suspension, medical, dental, vacation etc), regardless of whether absences are excused or unexcused. Students who are absent 10% or more of their enrolled school days are considered chronically absent.
Whittell’s Chronic Absenteeism Scores (Middle Sch: 18% vs 13% Dist. & High Sch: 26% vs. Dist. 19%).
Parents, we need your help to ensure that we decrease our chronic absenteeism rate for the success of all students.
Attendance Line
775-588-2446
If you prefer, you may email:
gwhs-attendance@dcsd.k12.nv.us
For transcripts, email Abaker@dcsd.k12.nv.us
Please include the following in the email:
- Student name
- Date & time student is leaving
- Reason for absence
- Indicate if student will be returning
90% ATTENDANCE POLICY
Attendance is related directly to grades. Students who attend school have better grades than students with numerous absences. We have high expectations for student attendance at George Whittell High School and carefully monitor student absences. Board Policy 504 establishes a (90%) attendance rule, and for a secondary school student to receive credit for a class he/she must be in attendance 68 instructional days per class the first semester and 70 instructional days per class for the second semester. Failure to meet these criteria may result in loss of credit. There is an appeal application process in place which allows the review of the total number of absences per semester.
Remember, ALL absences from school count against the 90% rule, to include but not limited to: Pre-arranged absences (PAA’s), illnesses, medical appointments, family emergencies, etc.
Truancies are unexcused absences. These not only count into your total, but they can also cause you to receive detentions and loss of full credit on missing assignments and tests.
TARDY POLICY
If you come late to class without a pass you are not excused.
- Tardy #1-2 Teacher warning.
- Tardy #3-5 Teacher will hold student after class; possible contact of parent.
- Tardy #6-9 Results in 4 days lunch detention + 2 additional days lunch detention for 1 day missed.
- Tardy #10-15 Results in 10 days lunch detention + 2 additional days of lunch detention for any 1 day missed.
- #16 Tardies- Results in 1 day ISS and a call home. Parent or guardian may offer to shadow student instead of ISS.
Additional tardies will result in further ISS and potential OSS.
As an upper classman -- You may lose off campus privileges.
EXCUSED ABSENCES
The Douglas County School Board of Education recognizes the following reasons for valid student absence from school: Board Policy 504BP .
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Illness (For extended absences due to health issues, homebound instruction may be provided.
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Emergency medical or dental care (Note from doctor/dentist may be required)
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Death in immediate family
Procedures for clearing excused absences are as follows:
If a student is absent, parents must call the office or write a note explaining the reason for the absence. The note should include the following: day and date of absence, reason clearly stated, date the note is being written, and a parent signature. Students are not allowed to sign their parent’s name. For an absence due to a medical appointment, the doctor’s office will give ‘a student excuse’ to present to the school office. IF A CALL/NOTE IS NOT RECEIVED WITHIN THREE SCHOOL DAYS, THE ABSENCE WILL BE LISTED AS TRUANCY.
To attend an after-school activity you must be in school for half of the instructional time, three full periods. If a student goes home due to illness, he/she is not allowed to participate in a school event even if he/she has been in school 3 periods. If the event is held on Friday, then the rule applies to Thursday.