Attendance

Attendance Information

To inform the high school that your child will be absent, please call 314.854.6607. An absence is defined as missing a minimum of one class period up to an entire school day (8 periods).

Attendance Procedures
Student Absences and Excused Absence Criteria
Attendance Percentages on Transcripts

Reporting Absences

Teaching and learning begin with student attendance.  Clayton High School values students being in class every day.  When it is necessary for a student to be absent for any class, a parent/guardian is expected to call the Attendance Office at 314.854.6607 prior to 10 a.m. on the day of the absence.  

The number has a 24-hour voice message system for your convenience. If a telephone call is not received, the Attendance Office will call the parent or guardian after 10 a.m.  If no contact has been made within 24 hours of the absence, the absence will be unexcused. 

Attendance letters are sent home after 5 and 8 absences, regardless of whether the absences are excused or unexcused. When a student reaches 8 absences, the administration will be in contact with families to discuss further meetings, potential academic consequences, and options for preserving credit for coursework.

Excused Absences

1. Illness of the pupil.
2. Serious illness of a member of the family or other family emergency which necessitates the absence of the student.
3. Death in the immediate family.
4. Medical or dental appointments that cannot be made during non-school hours.  A note from the doctor’s office confirming the appointment must be turned in.
5. Religious observances.
6. During AP exams, parents may choose to excuse a student from classes on the day of the exam.
7. College visits.
8. Absences that have prior approval of the principal.  Students who will be absent for reasons other than those listed above must seek approval by presenting a signed and dated note from a parent or guardian to the principal.

Unexcused Absences

Homework may be requested for a student after two consecutive days of absence. Teachers are willing to provide homework to help a child keep up during an extended illness. If parents do request homework after the second day's absence, please do so early in the morning so the teacher has time to gather homework to be ready by the end of the day.

Absence to Vacations

Some parents may decide to take children out of school for an extended vacation at various holiday times or other occasions during the school year. Though we realize that something can be gained from the education received during such an absence, we discourage such vacations because there is no effective way for a child to make up what happens at school during an absence. Therefore, please do not ask teachers to make up absence packets prior to a child's absence.

We have a school-wide Trip Packet that you may request from your child"s teacher for use during a vacation. It may be shared with the teacher upon your return from the trip.

Late Arrival or Early Dismissal

Students arriving at or after the 8:40 a.m. bell must go directly to the school office upon arrival to receive a tardy slip before being admitted to class. If a student will be tardy due to an appointment or other known reason, please call the office before school starts to explain the reason for the tardiness. The child must check in at the office upon arrival before being admitted to class.

These requests to check in and out from the office are done as a safety measure. We must be aware of students who are/are not in the building at all times. During an emergency situation, it is vital to know who is in attendance at any given time throughout the course of a day, e.g., tornado, fire, etc.

Students leaving before normal dismissal time for appointments must bring written notes to their classroom teachers and are also required to check-out at the office (for reasons as stated above) before their departure. Parents are asked to meet their child in the office. If a student will be returning to school from an appointment before dismissal that day, he/she will need to check back in at the office before returning to class.