Page 230 - 2021-2022 New Hire Benefits

STUDENT STANDARDS, BEHAVIOR AND DISCIPLINE

ATTENDANCE POLICY

Absences, Late Arrivals, Homework
If your student is going to be absent or late to school, please notify the Front Desk Receptionist between 7:30
and 8:30 a.m. by phone, email to frontdesk@renbrook.org, or by written note.
LATE ARRIVALS/EARLY DEPARTURES: If your Lower School or Upper School student arrives late
or leaves early, parents must sign their student in or out at the Front Desk.

UNEXCUSED ABSENCES: Renbrook asks that family trips and other special plans be made to coincide with
school vacations and strongly discourages parents from withdrawing students from school for non-medical
reasons. Such absences are disruptive to class and may adversely affect a student’s academic progress.
• In Lower School, homework is distributed via email.
• In Upper School, teachers will post homework daily on the myRenbrook Portal by 2:00 p.m.
At Renbrook we consider daily attendance to be of critical importance to a student’s success. There is no way
to duplicate at home the experience of participating in class discussions and receiving instruction directly from
a teacher, therefore the school discourages any kind of unexcused absence. In cases where such absences are
excessive, the school may decide not to renew a student’s contract.

Attendance Requirements by Division
According to the State of Connecticut, chronic absence is defined as missing 10 percent or more of school for
any reason including excused, unexcused, and disciplinary absences. Students who are chronically absent may
receive pass/fail grades for the term.
LOWER SCHOOL
Preschool & Junior Kindergarten: Due to the hands-on, experiential nature of the program, school
attendance is intrinsic to a student’s development. Our program focuses on the social and emotional
development of children, something that is most effectively nurtured by group experiences at school. In
addition, as a student progresses from the Preschool program through the Junior Kindergarten programs, the
development of cognitive skills becomes a greater part of the classroom experience.
For these reasons, if a Preschool or Junior Kindergarten student is absent from school for more than 10
percent of school days in any one term, the student's grade placement for the following year may be called
into question. Classroom teachers will not be able to provide ongoing work for a student who is absent for a
significant period of time.

Kindergarten – Grade 5:
Parents should notify the Lower School Administrative Assistant of all anticipated absences, early dismissals,
and late arrivals.
Parents should notify the Front Desk and classroom teacher of any day of absences, early dismissals, and late
arrivals.

Absences are "excused" for special events (with prior approval from the Lower School Head) and for illness. In
cases of prolonged absence for medical reasons, the School requires written documentation from a health care
provider stating that the student is unable to attend school.
Students excused or absent from Lower School are expected to make up any work that is missed and deemed
necessary by the classroom teacher. Teachers will not be expected to provide tutoring for any individual
student due to an absence.
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