Attendance and Punctuality
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Attendance
General Louis Wagner Middle School is in session from 7:30 AM to 2:34 PM. Children must come to school every day prepared to learn. Regular attendance is critical to academic success. Student attendance has become a high priority throughout the School District of Philadelphia. Each time that your child is absent from school, it is important that you send your child to school with a note explaining the reason for the absence.
Absence notes should be turned in to the advisory teacher. When a note is received, the absence is coded appropriately by the student’s advisory teacher. An unexcused absence is recorded whenever a child returns to school without a note from the parent/guardian or when the scholar’s absence cannot be excused based on the reason stated in the letter. All absences of three (3) or more consecutive school days shall be supported by a physician’s statement verifying the illness. Please be advised that a letter from the parent/guardian may not excuse all absences as determined by the School District of Philadelphia guidelines.
Good attendance is important for success in middle school. If a scholar is absent from school for any reason, a written excuse must be brought to school no later than three days after returning to classes; otherwise, the absence will be considered illegal/unexcused. The District has an attendance policy that includes truancy referrals if absences are excessive. Wagner will work with families to support regular attendance. Please be aware that a scholar’s attendance records are forwarded to the new school if a child transfers during the school year.
Excessive unexcused absences can lead to exclusion from school activities. All effort should be made to ensure students are present on PSSA testing and other assessment days, which are published on the school calendar.
Our scholars must be present in school every day and on time! We are here to support you and to provide your child with opportunities to be successful.
The School District of Philadelphia specifies the following as valid reasons for absence from school:
- Other urgent reason
- Unexcused absence
- Unexcused early dismissal
- Excused early dismissal
- Illness
- Quarantine -Did not receive instruction
- Recovery from an accident
- Required court attendance
- Death in family
- Educational tours and trips, with prior approval
- Religious holiday excused
- Authorized school activities
- Excused lateness
- Unexcused lateness
- Out of School Suspension
- In School Suspension
- Quarantine/isolation received instruction
- Homebound or home instruction
- Attended virtual instruction
- Extended placement
Excused Tardy/Absences
Illness – with a note from a parent or doctor. A doctor’s note may be required.
Appointments – with a note from the office involved (i.e. dental or medical,
Legal or other professional appointment) or a parent.
Lateness Policy
Classroom instruction begins as soon as school starts so children need to arrive on time. Any scholar arriving after 7:45 AM is considered late.
Early Dismissal
Parents/Guardians must come to the main lobby to pick scholars up for early dismissal, by 2:00 p.m. When picking up scholars, parents should enter the school through the main entrance on Chelten Ave. Parents/Guardians requesting early dismissals will be asked to provide photo ID, state the relationship to the scholar, give a reason for dismissal, and give their signature. Children will be dismissed only to those listed on the emergency contact form.
Parents are asked not to schedule doctor and dental appointments during school hours whenever possible and during PSSA testing day, as listed on the school calendar. All early dismissals will be recorded in the district’s Attendance Monitoring System. Habitual early dismissals adversely affect scholar learning and may affect scholar grades.
There will be no early dismissals after 2:00 p.m. Notes will be required for doctor’s visits. These may be brought to the school the next day and given to the child’s advisory teacher. On scheduled early dismissal days, there will be no early dismissal given, except for emergencies.