Attendance Information
Every School Day Matters - Attendance is key to school success!!
In many cases, absences from school are unavoidable due to health problems or other circumstances. However, chronic absenteeism can have a drastic impact on your child's education. Missing just 2 days a month, even when the absence is excused, adds up to 10% of the school year, resulting in a child being considered chronically absent.
- Children chronically absent in kindergarten and first grade are much less likely to learn to read by the end of third grade.
- By sixth grade, chronic absence is a proven early warning sign of drop-out.
- By ninth grade, good attendance can predict graduation even better than eighth-grade test scores!
OPA offers Short-term Independent Study for students who must be out of school for three (3) or more consecutive days. Short-term Independent Study can help students stay on track with their learning and not risk falling behind. See below for additional information on requesting a Short-term Independent Study.
Reporting an Absence
Please notify the front office of your student's absence no later than 8:45 AM. Any unverified absence that is not reported to the office within 72 hours of the date of absence will be considered unexcused.
- Use the teal link above titled "Report an Absence" and complete the requested form.
- Email the attendance office at [email protected]
Tardy Policy
- Any student who arrives at school after the bell rings at 8:15 AM is considered tardy.
- Tardiness due to doctor's appointments will be considered excused only if accompanied by a doctor's note. Any tardy over 30 minutes without a doctor's note is considered a truancy.
- Morning tardiness due to illness will be considered excused without a doctor's note but will be limited to two (2) per semester.
- Students arriving at school after 8:25 AM must be accompanied by a parent and signed in at the front office to receive a tardy slip prior to going to class. Students arriving between 8:15 AM and 8:25 AM will still be marked tardy but may report directly to class.
Early School Sign-Out
Students will not be released during the last ten (10) minutes of the school day, except for emergencies, as vital homework information and preparation for dismissal occurs at this time.
Requesting Make-up Work
- Students are given the opportunity to make up schoolwork missed for any excused absences upon their return to school. As a general policy, a student is allowed one (1) day to complete make-up work for each day of excused absence from school.
- You may request make-up work assignments directly from your student's teacher.
- For same-day requests, please email your teacher by 8:45 AM. Make-up work may be picked up in the office at the end of the school day as directed by your child's professor.
- For planned absences of less than three days, please contact the teacher in advance to give time to gather work.
- Please note: Requesting work for your child's absence is not the same as requesting a Short-Term Independent Study contract.
Short-term Independent Study
- Short-term Independent Study (Short-term IS) can be requested for planned time away for three (3) or more days. The contract should be initiated through the Attendance/Registrar at least three (3) school days prior to the scheduled time off. The Registrar will explain the Short-term IS Contract, get the necessary signatures, and explain the procedures to you.
- The contract will be forwarded to the teacher, who will prepare the assignments that will go home with the student the day before his/her scheduled time away.
- Requests for Short-term IS may be requested after the absence has occurred. Please see the Registrar for details.
- A Short-term IS contract can range from three (3) school days up to twenty (20) school days.
- The contract and all assigned completed work are due to the professor upon return to the school to receive attendance credit.
