Dean's Office

Class attendance is an essential part of the educational philosophy and process at Bellarmine. It is the expectation of Bellarmine that each student be in school and on time every day. When students are absent, all pertinent procedures below must be followed in the ways described. Failure to do so will result in a student receiving JUG. Honesty about absence is one of the most important ways that parents and school officials can collaborate in forming responsible adults.

Excused Absences

An excused absence occurs when a student unexpectedly misses an entire school day. Generally, unanticipated absences occur when there is an illness. Missing school to attend a funeral is also considered an excused absence.

The following procedures must be followed on any day a student is absent from school:

• It is the student's responsibility to have a parent notify the Dean's Office by phone (408-294-0645) before 9:00 a.m. If family circumstances prevent a phone call by 9:00, an e-mail to Scott Swenson by 9:00 a.m. is acceptable so long as it is followed up by a phone call to the Attendance Line by 12:00 p.m. the same day of the absence. Please note that it is necessary to call on each day of absence.
• Upon the student's return to school, it is the student's responsibility to complete the "Absentee Note", including a signature from a parent/guardian, and present it to the Dean's Office before his first clas on the day of his return. For your convenience, you may download an "Absentee Note" from the right of the page.
• The admit slip that the student receives from the Dean's Office must be presented to each of his teachers.
• The absent student is expected to contact his classmates for each day's assignment and mkae arrangements for securing appropriate books.

The Dean of Students will investigate absences that appear irregular. if circumstances warrant further verification of the reason for an absence, the Dean reserves the right to ask for a Doctor's note.

Unexcused Absences

When a student misses class for an unexcused reason, his teachers will be notified by the Dean's Office, informed of the situation and advised that they have no obligation to accept the work missed during the student's absence.

Appointments

Students should not make appointments during the school day. After school, Friday afternoons, holidays, and vacations periods should be used for appointments.

In the rare instance where a student wishes to be excused from class for a medical, dental or orthodontist appointment, or a court appearance, the following procedure should be followed:

• Students who will miss the start of the school day for an appointment must call the attendance line by 9:00 a.m. on the day of the appointment. When he returns to school, he must present a note or card from the doctor or a court appearance form, as verification.
• Students who need to leave campus for an appointment must present a written note from his parents to the Dean's Office before his first class. A doctor's verification card of the appointment or a court appearance form is required upon the student's return to school.

Any other appointments or partial absences, other than those specified above, should be handled in the same manner as a "Planned Absence" which is detailed below. This includes DMV appointments, any observations, holidays, or celebrations of a religious nature, any family matters, and any non-medical personal appointments.

Any student who does not follow the above procedures will be considered as having "cut a class" and will be dealt with accordingly.

Planned Absences

Students and parents are strongly discouraged from using school days for absences other than medical or emergency reasons. It is important to note that Bellarmine does not concede to parents the right to alter the school calendar for their own convenience.

When a student anticipates missing school for a non-school related reason, such as family vacations, college visits, and non-Bellarmine athletic contests, the student must obtain a "Planned Absence Form" from the Dean's Office. You may download this form from the right of the page. The student must take the form to all of his teachers for signatures. If a student receives the disapproval from a teacher, the absence may be considered unexcused. The completed form must be returned to the Dean's Office no later than one week prior to the first day of absence. If travel expenses are involved, the "Planned Absence Form" must be completed before any significant expenditure is committed to the trip. Credit for any work missed because of the absence will be at the discretion of the teacher.

Failure to follow any of these procedures will result in a JUG.

Tardiness

Classes begin at the sound of the second bell. Any student not seated at that time is considered late. A student arriving late to school is to report to the Dean's Office for a tardy slip. This slip must be shown to the teacher and such tardies are noted on a student's attendance record. During the course of the day, students arriving late to any class must also immediately report to the Dean's Office for a tardy slip. Students who display a pattern of tardiness may receive a greater number of hours for any subsequent tardiness. During final exam periods, students who are tardy to their scheduled exam are liable to not be provided the full hour to complete the exam.