ATTENDANCE
School Attendance, Absence, & Dismissals
Attendance is taken in the classrooms at 7:50. Students who arrive after this time are marked tardy. All attendance information is recorded with MEDMS, the Maine Department of Education’s record system. Students who walk or are driven to school are expected to arrive on time.
Parents should call or email us at school to let us know if their child is going to be absent so we know not to expect them. If a student has not arrived by 9:00 for two consecutive days, and we have not received notification of his/her absence, we will call home to make sure he/she is safe. Remember: regular attendance at school contributes to a successful educational experience.
In addition, all pupils are asked to bring a note from home for their teacher if they are to be dismissed early, be picked up by a neighbor or friend at school, or go home in a way different than usual or to a different destination. Absence forms will be sent home with each student or you can get them at the office.
Arrival:
Students may arrive between 7:30 and 7:50. All students being dropped off by passenger vehicle will be let out on the main entrance side of the building. Passenger vehicles should stay to the outside loop of the parking lot and not cut through the parking spaces when arriving. Students should exit their vehicle along the curb between the playground entrance and the middle school entrance. Buses will unload on the gymnasium side. Passenger vehicles should not drop off students on this side of the building.
Pre-K students will enter through Pre-K door and will be greeted by their teachers. If they would like breakfast, it will be delivered to their classroom.
Kindergarten through fifth grade students will enter through the front lobby and drop their backpacks and other materials at their classroom. K-2 students will go to the cafeteria for breakfast and then will be taken to the playground by the duty teacher. 3-5 students will either go to the cafeteria for breakfast or to the playground until the 7:50 bell
Sixth through eighth grade students will enter through the middle school entrance and drop their backpack and other materials at their locker. They will then either go to the cafeteria for breakfast or to the playground until the 7:50 bell.
Dismissal:
Bus Students- 2:35 All students, grades PK-8 who are riding the bus will load the buses beginning at 2:35.
Students in grades PK and Kindergarten and their older siblings who are not riding the bus will be picked up along the curb on the gym side of the building at 2:35. Students in grades 1 and 2 and their older siblings who are not riding the bus will be picked up along the curb on the main entrance side of the building at 2:35.
Students in grades 3-5 and their older siblings who are not riding the bus will be picked up along the curb on the main entrance side of the building.
Students in grades 6-8 who are being picked up will be picked up on the gym side of the building. Drivers of 6-8 students should arrive around 2:40 to avoid congestion in the driveway. Middle School students not riding the bus or being picked up will be dismissed at this time.
Truancy
In Maine, attendance at school is required of all children until the age of 17. Maine law states, “A student is habitually truant if the student has completed grade six and has the equivalent of 10 full days of unexcused absences or seven consecutive school days of unexcused absences during a school year,” OR “Is at least 7 years of age and has not completed grade six and has the equivalent of seven full days of unexcused absences or five consecutive school days of unexcused absences during a school year.” If a student’s attendance is not satisfactory, the school will involve the superintendent in meetings and ultimately, if things are not resolved, law enforcement and the Department of Health and Human Services will be involved. This could result in appearances in court and fines.
The truancy resolution levels are followed sequentially and the date is entered once the specific level has been initiated. The specific truancy resolution steps that must be followed are:
Truancy identified
Designated school personnel to develop an intervention plan to address absences (MRSA 20A 5051A 2A-2)
Official parent notification (MRSA 20A 5051A 2C)
Parent meeting scheduled (MRSA 20A 5051A 2D)
Notification to DHHS and/or local law enforcement (MRSA 20A 5051A 2E)
Parents referred to the District Attorney (MRSA 20A 5053 A)
Pending court action
Maine state statutes also list the following as reasons for an excused absence: personal illness, appointments with health professionals that must be made during the school day, observance of religious holidays, family emergencies, and planned absences for personal or educational purposes that have been approved by the school. If a student is repeatedly out for an illness, the school may ask for a doctor’s note. Recognizing that travel is an important educational experience, we support students' absence from school for travel. However, the homeroom teacher and principal must be notified at least a week in advance so that arrangements can be made for make-up work.
Planned Absences
A planned absence for a personal or educational purpose requires a Form for Student Absence to be submitted to the office. Planned absences of a week, but not greater than two weeks, require a meeting with the classroom teacher to discuss missed in-class curriculum and to make plans for how students will make up missed work. Many of our lessons are hands-on and use class discussion or small group work in lieu of worksheets, thus it is often difficult to replicate what students are missing when they are absent, especially for an extended period of time. Planned absences greater than two weeks require that students be enrolled in a home instruction program which is sent to the superintendent of schools and complies with the requirements of 20-A MRSA section 5001-A(3)(A)(4).
Chronic Absenteeism
The best way for students to take advantage of all that BHCS has to offer is by being present each day. Chronic absenteeism occurs when a student misses 15 or more school days throughout the school year--including both excused and unexcused absences. While a few days each month may not seem like a big deal, by the end of the year a child who is chronically absent misses close to 10% of the instruction provided by their teachers. Research has shown that this rate of absenteeism can have a significant impact on overall school success.
EARLY RELEASE & CANCELATIONS
Announcements about school closure due to inclement weather will be carried on local media as well as email and phone via SchoolMessenger. School days canceled due to weather will be made up at the end of the school year. Parents will also get a phone call and email if the decision is made to dismiss early. Please do not call the school to ask if the school is being dismissed early as this ties up the phones which we need in order to call parents of younger students PreK-4. Union 93 leadership makes all decisions regarding school cancellation or early dismissal.
