The Education Act requires that students attend classes 'regularly and punctually'. Safe Schools policy details our responsibility in confirming students' whereabouts when not recorded as present at school. When a student is considered absent, the school must call home to confirm the whereabouts of the absent student unless the parent/guardian has already called to inform the school of the late arrival or absence. Deseronto Public School has the following expectations and guidelines of students and parents:
- Students are expected to arrive at school on time and be in regular attendance at school. Students are expected to be in their classroom and prepared for learning each morning. Parent/Guardian MUST call or text the school if their child will be absent and indicate the reason for the absence.
- Students who arrive for school after attendance has been taken must report to the Main Office and receive a Late Slip. Parents/Guardians dropping off late students MUST drop them off at the front door.
- A letter of concern will be issues to parents of any student who is unlawfully not attending school, persistently absent or habitually late. The Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board Attendance Counsellor will be notified as required by the Education Act.
- Any student returning to school after an absence of any length, when the school has not been informed of the reason for the absence in advance, is required to bring a note from his/her parents/guardians stating the reason for the absence. This note them become the official explanation of absence.
- Parents/Guardians are asked to text/call the school and leave a message using our school phone number (613-396-2448). An explanation must be given for all absences. The message then becomes the official explanation of absence. This line is available 24 hours daily.
- If a child is required to attend an appointment during the school day we ask that they use as minimal time as possible and return to school after the appointment is completed.
Illness
Students who are not well are best cared for at home. Staying home ensures a speedy recovery and avoids spreading illness to others. In most cases, children who are well enough to be at school are well enough to benefit from exercise and fresh air outside during recess periods. The Health Unit has provided the following information regarding student illness: 1) students with elevated temperatures should not be at school; 2) fresh air is better than staying indoors for anyone recovering from illness; 3) individuals do not catch a cold from being outside or from cold weather; colds are spread from the germs of others who already have a cold; 4) in most cases, student who are feeling sick in the morning should be kept home.
On December 4th, 2023, we will be launching the SafeArrival Student Absence Reporting System as our primary process.
SafeArrival is affiliated with School Messenger, a system used by HPEDSB in schools to send messages to families by email, SMS text, and telephone.
With SafeArrival, guardians can report a student absence in advance, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, using their choice of a mobile app, the SafeArrival website, or an interactive toll-free phone number.
How does it work? If a student is marked absent and the absence hasn't been reported in advance, SafeArrival will attempt to reach the student's priority contact (the number you provided to the school) by email, SMS text, and telephone to confirm the absence. If the system is unable to reach the designated contact, the office staff will call to follow up.
To sign up for SafeArrival app or website reporting, care givers must use the primary email address associated with their child's records at the office. Families unsure of which email is their child's primary email, or who wish to change the primary email, are requested to contact the school office (613-396-2448).
No email address is required for absence reporting through the toll-free phone number (1-833-568-2535).