•   Janet Elrod
    Position:  
     
    Clerical / Attendance
     
    Phone/Ext.:  
     
    770-781-2299 x401202
     
    Email:  

    ATTENDANCE GUIDELINES

     

    Students are expected to attend school regularly. Students that accumulate five (5) unexcused absences in the students first 90 day period of attendance will be withdrawn from Gateway for a period of four (4) weeks.  After that period the student may reenter Gateway.  Students that accumulate ten (10) unexcused absences will lose the privilege of attending Gateway and will serve the “original” suspension/expulsion time prior to returning to the base school.

    Students with excessive excused absences due to illness may be required to bring a doctor’s note.  If the student does not go to the doctor or fails to bring the note, the absence will count as unexcused.
     

    ATTENDANCE

     

    Students must submit a note or parents must fax or e-mail the attendance office within five (5) school days for the student’s absence to be considered excused. Please see the website for the fax number or Attendance e-mail: jelrod@forsyth.k12.ga.us.  The parent / guardian must write the note, fax or e-mail stating the student’s name, the date(s) of absence(s), and the reason for the absence. The principal may require students to present appropriate medical or other documentation upon return to school for the purpose of validating that absences are excused. 

    In case of extended illness, hospitalization or injury, the parent should apply for hospital homebound service.  Hospital homebound service should be applied for immediately when absences of ten (10) days or more are anticipated for the student.

     

    Regular attendance is essential to success in school. As permitted under the Georgia compulsory education law and Forsyth County Board of Education policy, students may be excused for the following reasons:

    1. Personal illness or attendance in school that endangers a student’s health or the health    of others.

    2. A serious illness or death in a student’s immediate family necessitating absence from school.

    3. A court order or an order by a governmental agency, including pre-induction physical examinations for service in the armed forces, mandating absence from school.

    4. The observance of religious holidays, necessitating absence from school.

    5. Conditions rendering attendance impossible or hazardous to student health or safety.

    6. A scheduled medical, dental or eye examination of the student.

    7. Registering to vote or voting.

    8. Visiting with a parent or legal guardian who is in the military service in the armed forces and has been called to duty for or is on leave from overseas deployment to a combat zone or combat support post.  The student may be excused for a maximum of 5 days per school year. 
    * Non-school related activities and vacations are considered unexcused.
     CHECK-IN or EARLY CHECK-OUT
     
    An unexcused late check-in or early check-out is defined as any time a student arrives late to school or leaves school early for a reason other than those defined by the State Board of Education as an excused absence.  A combination of three unexcused tardies and early check-outs will be considered one unexcused absence.  Students who miss more than half of the time in any class will be considered absent for that class period.  When possible, medical and dental appointments should be made outside of school hours. If a student is being checked in or checked out for a doctor’s appointment, a physician’s note or appointment card is required within 5 school days to be considered excused.

     

    Check-in:  Students must sign in through the attendance office when they arrive at school after the first period bell. 

     

    Check-out: If it is necessary for a student to check-out early due to illness, the student must be seen by the school nurse.  To obtain an Early Check-out Pass, students are responsible for submitting a note to the office before school starts or the parent is required to personally check out the student.  Phone calls to check out a student will not be permitted.  All students must go through the attendance office! 

     

    COLLEGE VISITS: Juniors and seniors may visit colleges during the school year for no more than 4 days per year.  The student must bring documentation from the school indicating that the student visited the school. College visitations will be considered field trips as long as the student provides documentation.  Gateway Academy has a form that must be completed when the student is absent for a college visit.  This form can be obtained in the office.

     

    CONSEQUENCES: If a student has excessive absences, early check-outs, and / or late check-ins, the student and / or the parent may be referred to the School Social Worker, Juvenile Court, State Court, and / or Department of Family and Children Services.  A parent / guardian who violate the compulsory education law shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof, shall be subject to a fine not less than $25.00 and not greater than $100.00, imprisonment not to exceed 30 days, community service, or any combination of such penalties at the discretion of the court having jurisdiction.  Each day’s absence from school is considered a violation.

     

    Any student who has ten or more school days of unexcused absences in the current academic year or ten or more school days of unexcused absences in the previous academic year will be subject to the rules of O.C.G.A. 40-5-22, school attendance and motor vehicle licenses law.  In order to be eligible for a license, a student must satisfy the attendance requirements noted above for a period of one academic year prior to the application for an instruction permit or driver’s license.  The instruction permit or driver’s license will be revoked for a period of one year, if a student has ten or more school days of unexcused absences in an academic year. 

     

    Parents are required to pick up their students NO later than 3:30 on regular school days.  Parents violating this policy are subject to having students removed from Gateway Academy.