• This information comes straight from our 2022-2023 Parent Handbook

    Attendance

    Regular attendance directly improves academic performance.  Children rely on their parents/guardians to ensure they are in school and on time.  It is the child’s responsibility to make up missed assignments.  Parents/Guardians will be notified by mail if your child’s absences or tardies are excessive and a pattern is developing. 

     

    A student must be present for half of the instructional day.  Therefore, students who arrive after 11:30 will be counted absent.  Students who are absent must return a note/email indicating the reason within 2 days of the absence to the child’s teacher.  Failure to do so will result in an “unexcused” absence.  Late arrivals and early checkouts count in the 20-day attendance policy.  Students with more than 20 absences shall not be promoted except by the determination of the principal. 

     

    Arriving Late

    • Students who arrive after 8:00 AM must report to the office for a tardy slip.  The parent/guardian must accompany the child to the office and sign in him/her.  Visitors and students are asked to remain quiet during the announcements. Students must have no tardies to receive Perfect Attendance.  

     

     Early Check Out

    • If students need to be checked out early during the instructional day, parents/guardians must sign the child out in the main office.  No student will be checked out after 2:30.  Schedule your child’s appointments after school or pick them up before 2:30.  Students must have no early checkouts to receive Perfect Attendance.  Please make sure you have proper identification and/or authorization when checking out your child.  

     

    An Excused Absence means a child is absent from school for a legitimate reason.  These reasons include:  Illness or injury; Quarantine; Death in the immediate family; or Medical/Dental appointments.   The principal maintains the right to require doctor/medical notes if student illness absence are deemed excessive.

     

    An Unexcused Absence means the school has not been notified, or the absence was for an unacceptable reason (haircut, hunting, vacation, overslept, etc).

     

    James W. Smith takes excessive absences seriously and will report all violations subject to the NC truancy laws.

     

    Additional information regarding attendance can be found in the 2022-2023 Craven County School System Policies and Regulations Handbook.