Attendance

Arrival: Students may not arrive on the school grounds prior to 8:10 A.M.  No student supervision will be available prior to this time so please be mindful of this if planning to drop your student off as a car rider. Students who arrive before 8:25 A.M. are to wait in the gymnasium until being dismissed to home-base.  Supervision will be provided during the arrival and dismissal of buses.

Absences:
The Bedford County Public Schools attendance policy is explained in the Code of Student Conduct.  Parents are asked to notify the school office by 9:30 A.M. when they know their child will be absent from school.  When the student is absent from school for an entire day, or for one or more class periods, a parent or guardian must notify the school by phone, a written note, or e-mail.   [email protected].

Written notes can be dropped off in the main office or given to the student's homebase teacher when the student returns. The notification shall contain the reason(s) for and the date(s) of the absence(s).  Medical documentation may be required.  The principal will be the judge of the validity of any excuse. 

All absences are considered unexcused until a written note is received from the parent.  Excused absences and tardiness include:
  • death in the immediate family,
  • a subpoenaed court appearance,
  • previously approved absence, and/or
  • a verified medical condition.

Make-Up Work:
It is the student's responsibility to arrange for all make-up work.  Students with excused absences may make up work accordingly: absent 1-2 days will have 3 school days to make up work; absent 3-5 days will have 6 school days to make up work; absent 6+ days will talk with the teacher to establish a date for the work to be completed.

Because of the high volume of daily requests we receive for homework assignments, we request that parents call the school office to receive homework information only when the absence is more than three (3) days.  The office must receive the request for assignments by 9:00 A.M. in order to have the materials available by 4:00 P.M. the same day.

Tardiness:
Students must be in homebase at 8:45 A.M. to be considered on time. Students will not be considered tardy due to late buses. Car riders should be dropped off prior to 8:40 A.M. in order to be in class and ready for morning announcements. Students who are tardy to school must stop by the office to receive an admit slip to enter class. The reason for being tardy must be stated. All tardiness is considered “unexcused” until a note is received from a parent.

Getting to class on time throughout the day is also required. Tardiness disrupts classroom instruction and will be treated as a disciplinary and/or truancy matter.

Early Dismissals:
No student shall be permitted to leave the school prior to the 3:45 P.M. dismissal bell without the written permission of the parent or guardian, except by a police officer with judicial authority.  All parents/guardians of a student may have access to the student or may grant permission to allow the student to leave the school unless the school has evidence that there is a legally binding instrument or court order which provides to the contrary. Without written permission, the students will go home at the regularly scheduled time.

Parents who need to pick up students before the school dismissal time must sign the student out in the office with a driver's license or state ID. Parents are strongly urged not to disrupt classes toward the end of the day with early dismissals.  Classes will not be interrupted to call students except in emergencies; therefore, 
  • Parents must arrange for the student to meet them in the office by sending a note with the student to the homebase teacher.
  • Students must present all notes from their parents concerning early dismissal to their homebase teacher when they arrive in class in the morning.
  • Students will receive an early dismissal pass from their home-base teacher.
  • Students must show the early dismissal pass to the teacher from whose class he/she will be dismissed at the beginning of the period. 
  • Students must remember to go to the office at the designated time.
Repeated dismissals from class disrupt classroom instruction and will be treated as a disciplinary and/or truancy matter.