Attendance Overview
Attendance Requirements
H.J. MacDonald Middle School is committed to strictly adhering to attendance guidelines established by the NC State Board of Education and Craven County Schools. State guidelines classify absences as lawful (excused) or unlawful (unexcused).
Attendance is required of every student every day. Regular and consistent attendance for all students in grades 6-8 along with a minimum academic grade of 60 are required in order to receive credit for a course. For Craven County high school students, absence is defined as “the failure to be in attendance for a minimum of 50% per class period.”
The Craven County Board of Education attendance policy states that students who are absent more than ten days and has not been granted lawful excuses may lose credit for the class, also referred to as a Forced Failure. The strict enforcement of this policy will be a continued focus for all three high schools in Craven County.
Attendance Process
Teachers are required to record student attendance each period of each instructional day, using Infinite Campus to record absences and tardies. A mark of 2L (unexcused tardy) will be made if the student arrives to class 1-45 minutes late. A mark of 2A (unexcused absence) will be made if the student is not present or arrives 46+ minutes late (50% Rule).
Questions or concerns about classroom attendance should be addressed with the specific teacher. Prior to parent involvement, we encourage students to take accountability for their own attendance and engage with the teacher about any possible errors.
If a student is sent home by the School Nurse for illness or injury, we have developed an internal process to code the absence as excused in order to avoid an absence notification. However, if a student leaves due to an illness or injury, but does not check out through the school nurse, an absence notification will be made and will require an email from the parent in order for an excused absence to be recorded. All requests for excusal should submitted via the Absence Note Form within 5 days of returning to school (CCS Policy).
Absence Notification
If a student is marked with an Unexcused Absence (2A) in any period, the parent/guardian will receive notification in the evening, per their Infinite Campus contact preferences. These notifications are sent via phone call, text, and email (via CCS School Communication) and will indicate an absence was incurred during that day, but not necessarily for the entire day. It is recommended that parents/guardians consult the attendance record on Infinite Campus and discuss the absence with the student prior to contacting the school.
If the absence was marked in error, the student should consult with the teacher to correct the error. If the absence should be excused, the parent/guardian should follow guidelines for excused absences.
Data Manager responsibilities
As the Principal's desginee, the Data Manager is tasked to maintain Infinite Campus attendance records in accordance with NC and CCS guidelines.
The Data Manager shall not make changes to classroom attendance without written teacher authorization (email).
Counseling Department responsibilities
The Counseling Department will review student attendance and enforce the NC Compulsory Attendance Law by notifying parents/guardians by mail after 6 absences. All responses to Compulsory Attendance letters should be directed to the Counseling Department.