Dear CJHS Community,
What an incredible blessing all of this rain has been and will continue to be!! Speaking of rain - your children are getting a "sprinkling" of information on water conservation in many of their classes! We can all do our part!
As we get ready for the busiest few weeks of the year, I want to remind you that we have the Math STAAR test on Tuesday 4/29! Also, Thursday will be the UIL participant park trip! We began this tradition last year and they had SO MUCH FUN! Your students will get a permission slip tomorrow!
This Week:
Monday 4/28
- Normal Day
Tuesday 4/29
- CJHS STAAR Math testing!
Wednesday 4/30
- Normal Day
Thursday 5/1
- UIL Participant Trip to the Park
Friday 5/2
- Normal Day!
Attendance FAQ
I wanted to take some time to discuss attendance because it can be a bit confusing with some of the wording and state requirements vs local.
- The State of Texas requires students to be "in the seat" 90% of the days in a school year for students attending public schools. This means your child may miss no more than 9 days or parts of days/semester or 18 days or parts of days in a school year. Because this is in state law (State Education Code), a referral to the court system may be given out for any of the following "truant" behavior:
- Missing more than 9 days or parts of days in a semester or 18 days or parts of days in a school year.
- Missing more than 10 days absent within a 6 month period
- The state does outline certain absences as "EXCUSED" from this 90% rule under Section 25.087
- observing religious holy days;
- attending a required court appearance
- appearing at a governmental office to complete paperwork required in connection with the student's application for United States citizenship;
- taking part in a United States naturalization oath ceremony
- serving as an election clerk; or
- if the student is in the conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services, participating, as determined and documented by the department, in an activity ordered by a court under Chapter 262 or 263,
- a temporary absence resulting from an appointment with health care professionals for the student or the student's child if the student commences classes or returns to school on the same day of the appointment; or
- an absence resulting from a life-threatening illness or related treatment that makes the student's attendance infeasible, if the student or the student's parent or guardian provides a certification from a physician licensed to practice medicine in this state specifying the student's illness and the anticipated period of the student's absence relating to the illness or related treatment.
CISD also gives "excused" and "unexcused" absences. These local designations are given to absences that are NOT excused under the 90% rule/State Education Code as listed above.
- Excused Absences mean your child can earn full credit for the work they missed while they were gone.
- Personal illness
- Serious illness or death in the immediate family
- Medical or dental appointment with note (If a student goes to an appt and comes back - this is not counted against the 90% rule as explained above!)
- Documented weather or road conditions
- Discretionary absences
- Unexcused Absences mean the highest grade your child can earn is a 50 on work missed while they were gone.
- Any absence that doesn't fit the above criteria or failing to send a note or notify school of absence.
I know that this can all be confusing. Please know that if you are close to breaking the 90% rule - you will receive a letter warning you and your child of this. As always, you can call me or my secretary to discuss attendance at any time! In addition, many people don't realize that school districts and individual school campuses in Texas are held "accountable" for attendance as well. One portion of our accountability rating is attendance. We are obligated to follow state laws regarding this as well. You may wonder what happens if a school is not in compliance? Many things could happen - but ultimately, failing to have an appropriate accountability rating could result in school takeover by the state.
As always, I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas for the forward movement of our school! Please contact me with questions and/or Comments, recommendations, raves, or constructive criticism! You may always email me at jpierce@childressisd.net or call the school at (940) 937-3641. I've added an additional option in the button below for more specific feedback!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Janet Pierce
CJHS Principal
