Family Handbook 2017-18

Extended Student Absences  There are  two kinds of extended absences  that, broadly  speaking,  can  impact a  student’s  a endance  record:  (a) planned extended absences occur when a  student  knows  in advance  that  she will miss  three, or more,  consecu ve days of  school and  (b) unplanned extended absences  occur quite unexpectedly  throughout  the  school  year  for a myriad of  reasons.  Absenteeism  from planned or unplanned extended absences  can  seriously  jeopardize a  student’s  overall achievement  in any  subject and  in every grade  if  too many  classes are missed during  the  school  year. What  follows  is a procedure  that Havergal has developed  to accommodate  the  learning needs of  students who miss an extended period of  me  from  school.  Planned Extended Absences  It  is  important  that  families  think  carefully before asking  the  school  to approve a planned  extended absence. Our  faculty are not expected  to  re‐teach  the missed  content of an en re  lesson when  students:  (1) extend  their  family holidays outside of published  school  vaca on dates,  or  (2) miss one, or more, weeks of  classes because an  interna onal  tournament or  important  training event happens  to  conflict with  the  school’s  calendar.  At Havergal,  students  can’t make up  lost  me by working  to  complete assignments  in  isola on, or  with an outside  tutor. Our  students are expected  to par cipate  in  class ac vi es and discussions,  work  collabora vely with  their peers  in  small groups and  complete assigned work  throughout  the  year by established deadlines. Taken  collec vely,  these experiences are used by  teachers  to assess  student achievement  in every  subject and at every grade, which  results  in final marks being  documented  for  subjects on  report  cards. Academic penal es may occur  if  students do not  (or  cannot)  complete  the  required assessments  in a  mely manner. By  year’s end, every  student must  show  sufficient evidence of  success on overall  course expecta ons as  they have been prescribed  by  the Ministry of Educa on.  As well,  it’s  important  to note  that  students who assume  leadership  roles within  the  school  cannot  fulfill  their  responsibili es  in  full when  they miss extended periods of  me  throughout  the  school. However, Havergal makes every  reasonable accommoda on  for elite athletes and  excep onal  family  requests  that may warrant  students missing an extended period of  me  from  school.  In  such  cases, parents must advise  the  school well  in advance of an cipated absences  when possible  so  that we may make appropriate arrangements  for a  student’s academic  support 

Last Updated Aug. 18, 2017  Havergal College Family Handbook 2017–18

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