Attendance

Andrea Blanton
Student Information Manager
610-983-4080 ext. 121
fax: 610-983-4096
Andrea.Blanton@rak12.org

Renaissance Academy requires that all students attend school regularly in accordance with county, state and federal law. In order for each student to receive the maximum benefit from school, regular attendance is mandatory.

Students are expected to be in class at 8:00 A.M. and ready to learn every day. Any Upper School student arriving after 8:00 A.M. must sign in at the main office.

• Absences
  • Excessive Absences
• Lateness/Tardiness
• Early Dismissals
• Excused vs Unexcused
• Request for Educational Travel Form
• Board of Trustees Attendance Policy (pdf)

If your child will be absent from school:

•  Fill Out Online Absence Form Here
• -Or- Call the “Absence Line”, 610-983-4080, x236.  A follow up note will be required with your name, the name and grade of the student, the reason the student will not be in school, and a contact telephone number where you can be reached.
• To request work be compiled to be picked up by a family member or friend, please call your child’s homebase teacher by 7:30 AM. Any calls requesting work made after 7:30 AM may not be ready at the end of the day. You are also welcome to email individual teachers requesting assignments or updates.

When your child returns to school after being absent:

• Upon your child’s return to school, he/she must, by law, bring a written excuse note from home, even if you have contacted the Absence Line.  If you filled out the Absence/Lateness/Early Dismissal Form, you have met your note requirement - unless the absence lasted three (3) days or more.
• A physician’s note MUST accompany all absences lasting three (3) days or more.

Excused Absences

Following is a list of excused reasons for absence. Any absence resulting from a situation other than those listed below will be considered unexcused.

• Observance of a religious holiday
• Religious instruction with a maximum of 36 hours per year
• Trips to exhibitions or places for educational purposes, maximum five (5) days per year and must receive administrative pre-approval. (Exempt Absence) - Request for Educational Travel Form
• Planned vacations up to a maximum of five (5) school days, with prior notification in writing and administrative pre-approval.
• Medical / health related appointments which cannot be scheduled after school hours
• Illness or recovery from an accident
• Quarantine
• Death in the family
• Court appearance
• Unavoidable family emergencies
• Inclement weather resulting in impassable roads
• School District of residence closed to due weather or other delays due to district transportation (Exempt Absence)

No excuse will be accepted after a period of three (3) school days. If documentation is not supplied within three (3) school days of the absence, the absence will be considered unexcused.

Unexcused Absences

When the school does not receive an absence note within three (3) school days after the return to school, the absence becomes UNEXCUSED. Unexcused absences exceeding three (3) school days total may result in corrective measures.

A student with three (3) or more unexcused absences may be issued a citation with District Court by the student’s sending school district.

After School Activities Following Absences:

Students not in attendance for the school day may not participate in after school activities for the day (athletic games, dances or proms, clubs, concerts, practices, etc.) Students who miss the day before a non-school day event must have prior administrative permission to attend. Administration has the right to review circumstances of any absence and determine if participation after school or during the weekend following an absence is warranted.

• Board of Trustees Attendance Policy (pdf)

K-6th Grade:

When a K-6th grade student exceeds fifteen (15) absences a doctor’s note will be required for all subsequent absences or the absence will be considered unexcused. A K-6th grade student with fifteen (15) or more total absences, excused or unexcused, will be considered for retention in his or her current grade

​​7th-12th Grade​:

When a 7th-12th grade student exceeds twelve (12) absences a doctor’s note will be required for all subsequent absences or the absence will be considered unexcused.  A 7th-12th grade student with twelve (12) or more total absences, excused or unexcused, will be considered for retention in his or her current grade.

It is the belief of Renaissance Academy that time in class is a critical step in the learning process. Class discussions, activities, and work which may not be graded are just as important in assessing student learning and success as tests, quizzes, and projects. Any upper school student who misses 12 or more full days of school (excused or unexcused), or 12 or more classes of a specific subject (excused or unexcused) may not be awarded credit for the class. Students will receive either a 64% as their final grade for high school or a 59% for middle school if they had a passing grade at the end of the year. A student who fails the class outright will receive the earned grade. Students who wish to appeal this policy due to medical or emergency reasons must contact the Principal and request a hearing with the Board of School Directors.

*Please refer to the RA Board of Trustees Attendance Policy (pdf).

School hours for all students are 8:00 am to 3:30 pm. It is every parent/guardian’s responsibility to get his or her child to school on time and it is the responsibility of every student to report to each class on time. Renaissance Academy believes that students who are late to school or are tardy to class begin the day or individual class at a disadvantage.

• Excused vs Unexcused Attendance Explained

Five (5) unexcused lateness’s (grades 7-12) or three (3) or more unexcused lateness's (grades K-6) each trimester may result in the following corrective action:

1. Warning
2. Counseling
3. Family/ School Meeting
4. Truancy Elimination Plan
5. Alternative Placement

Unexcused lateness’s that total eight hours (one school day) when combined with unexcused absences, may result in a citation to the parents by the sending school district.

7th-12 grade students who are late to class during the school day and do not have their agenda signed by a staff member are considered unexcused and late to class. If a student accumulates 5 unexcused tardies to a single class during a trimester, after school detention will be assigned.

If your student needs to be dismissed early, click the button at right to fill out an Absence-Tardy-Early Release Form (online) -or- call the school, both a minimum of one (1) hour in advance or send a note to school with your student. A written note or signature will be needed to sign a student out from class.

• Only authorized adults whose names are on file in the main office may sign out and pick up your child. Any other individuals picking up your child will require written authorization in the form of a physical note, fax or email; no verbal requests or confirmations will be honored, including phone calls.
• A student CANNOT sign themselves out of the building. If your student is a driver (17 years old in PA) and needs to leave for an early dismissal, he or she MUST have a written note from a parent or guardian. Students who are 18 may not sign themselves out.
• Please provide the Student Information Manager with names and telephone numbers of adults who may pick up your student. Please update the names if your family situation changes.
• Students who leave school early may not return to school for an after school event without pre-approval from administration.
• Students are not allowed to leave class to wait for a parent/ guardian to pick them up. They are to remain in class until the parent arrives at the main office and physically signs them out. At this time a call will be made to the student’s classroom. 
• Excused vs Unexcused
• Board of Trustees Attendance Policy (pdf)