*updated Spring 2024 (just added a few things to help w/ communication).
*scroll down for attendance warning letter instructions/info.
McCallum’s attendance policy follows AISD policy, which complies with the Texas Education Code (TEC), which places a limit on the number of absences a student may have in order to receive credit for that class. All high school students must be in attendance for 90% of all class days each semester. See AISD compulsory attendance & 90% Rule (link). or AISD Attendance (link) for more info from AISD.
*add'l campus specific info and updates are often posted in the principal weekend updates, please read them.
**Attn: Best practice for excuse notes is to turn them in via the google form link.
McCallum Google Form for Absence Documentation - McCallum HS (link here!)
* English & Spanish version
PLEASE NOTE: If you are turning in a parent excuse letter for being ill vs a doctor note, you MUST still upload a signed note w/ date(s)!
*Easiest way is to take a picture of a handwritten note OR screenshot a "note" from your phone notepad APP, then can attach.
*You may also type a note or scan a note with your computer or simply email yourself a picture of one.
*you may also use the printable parent excuse note above for this.
TIPS FOR GOOGLE FORM ISSUES:
♖This works best signed into google acct, as the only acct logged in & in new browser VS on your phone for some users)
♜ This will send you an email receipt for each – please make sure your email does not mark as spam or block emails from sender “Google Forms” ( forms-receipts-noreply@google.com )
♖This process helps speed up the attendance process & save not only time, but a TON of paper! THANK YOU!!!
♜ If you think a teacher has marked a student incorrectly, please have your student reach out to the teacher of the marked period OR the assistant principal for major concerns. ( printable above for student how-to)
♖ Yes, your student can still turn in paper notes at the front office (please remember to save copy/picture for your records), but the google form is highly preferred.
♜If you have any major attendance questions, complaints, or concerns then please contact the attending assistant principal for your student(s).
♖The google form is NOT for complaints about attendance, please remember to have your student speak with any teacher who may have made a mistake or needs to turn in a correction.
♜If google form is not working for you see add'l FAQs at bottom of page.
Covid-19 Reporting & Attendance:
*AISD updated Covid19 protocol via CDC recommendations Spring 2024.
1. Please send an excuse note from your healthcare professional with the exact dates to be excused (only exact days on this document are coded as ILH/MED - both codes do not count against the student's 90% policy once updated in the systems)
AND/OR
2. Send a add'l parent note for the full/partial day(s) ill at home or any add'l dates not on the medical excuse document you provided. Once marked as parent excuse illness days, as code ILP, this does still count against a student's 90% policy.) *you may utilize the standard parent note to report these, see printable forms below.
*Ideally, alll excuse documentation should be turned in via the google form (fastest update) or at the front desk.
New AISD COVID-19 Protocol (Effective March 2024):
- Staff and student COVID-positive cases will be recommended (not required) to observe a 24-hour exclusion from school/district office and return when symptoms and fever have resolved without medication. Masking upon return is recommended but optional. Based on new CDC Respiratory Virus Guidance.
COVID-19 is still a state-notifiable disease and must be reported to HSN as soon as possible via the AISD COVID-19 Incident Response Form. (*this link is just Covid-19 reporting NOT attendance for excuse or document reporting).
Excuse Forms (printable)
How do I pick-up early from McCallum?
How to for students: fixing attendance mistakes
*Printed copies also available by request at the main office/front desk.
How do I pick students up early from McCallum?
*Try not to miss the first period of the day prior to 10:30am. This helps increase school funding from the Texas Education Agency! Please try to do appointments on non-school days when feasible.
*Parking is limited, and our school is very spread out. We want to make the process of picking up your child early as simple as possible. Here is the easiest way to pick your child up early for an appointment:
Send a note the day before the anticipated absence with your student. We can only accept notes from the parent/guardian listed in our system. If you do not send a note prior, then a parent guardian on the pick-up list MUST come inside w/ ID to check out at the front desk. Sometimes we have a line, and you may have to wait.
The note should include:
-Reason for leaving
-Time leaving
-Student ID#
-Parent/guardian phone number
-Parent/guardian signature
Your student should take the note to the office before school (or at their earliest convenience). A student aid will deliver the slip to the teacher of the period student is allowed to leave, the student must then take this to the front office and sign out before leaving campus. (If they do not, please turn this pink slip in with the excuse note either at the front desk or if on the google form take one picture of both notes to simply upload together as one attachment.
Your student must check out via Raptor in the main office. (or student sign in/out folder)
After checking out your student may be picked up by the flagpoles near the main entrance.
If the student will be returning to school the same day, they will need to check back in via Raptor or sign in sheet in the main office-please drop off near main entrance.
TIPS:
*Print out the instructions to use as your parent note (see link above).
*Please try to pick up or drop off at the main office building, as it is required to sign in and/or out at the main office.
*Give yourself ample time to complete this process without the stress of waiting, sometimes many people are in line for this (lunchtime is the busiest, best would be not to try this at lunchtime which is from 12:43-1:23pm. Traffic around campus can be hectic at this time.
*Issuing a pink slip for early dismissal (or signing out) to leave campus DOES NOT excuse the absence and this parent note is not an excuse note for the unexcused attendance.
*ONLY SENIORS ARE ALLOWED TO LEAVE CAMPUS FOR LUNCHTIME WITHOUT PASSES.
Thank you for doing your part in your knight(s)' attendance upkeep and for your patience while we update the attendance process' this year!
⚔️🛡️
Please check this website page for updates regularly
(last major update August 2023, a few updates March 2024)
*Read each starred note carefully to ensure collection of proper documentation and/or note requirements in order for attendance to be excused.
*Each note is required to have the student's first/last name, and student ID number (s#1234567) plus the exact date(s) to be excused.
Parents should monitor/view your student's attendance details here for date(s) reference etc: Visit your Parent Portal (frontline/SIS attendance) to view attendance details for each class period (see the attendance tab next to grades). PARENT SELF-SERVE INSTRUCTIONS
& if cannot login to your portal please connect with AISD Technology Support.
*Once logged in to Parent Portal login-->Frontline/ERP/SIS tile-->attendance and/or notifications tabs (next to the popular "report cards" tab).
*DO NOT SHARE YOUR LOGIN INFO WITH YOUR STUDENT. Also, attendance view in Blend or the App is not ideal to monitor official updates etc, just like grades (much easier to view on a larger screen and up to date/accurate.)
*Once logged in check your "notifications" tab to adjust as needed to your preferences (attendance and grade alerts available) - additionally students also have a Student Portal and notifications tab for themselves and can adjust setting to get alerts on grades/attendance as well. Email notifications will email you the periods of absence vs. just saying "your student missed part of the day."
If your child is absent from all or part of a school day for a medical visit, the student must bring an excuse note: either signed by the health care professional that describes the reason for the absence. All notes should be provided within two days of returning to school. Students MUST SIGN IN +/- OUT at the front desk if only missing a partial day (this is directly linked to our funding numbers please remind your student). The campus will update attendance records only based on the documentation provided for the dates listed. Only valid dates on the form will be coded as ILH or MED (these valid dates will not count against the 90% policy once excused)
*Excuse notes from a health care professional or provider indicating that the student was ill, contagious, had a fever, or simply had an appointment. This note must specify the student’s full name, the date(s) the student has been ill or are excused for and the signature + contact info or other professional indication to ensure the note is from the health care professional. Only correct documents will be accepted, no edits to dates on paperwork as this makes the edit invalid. Only dates excused by doctor will be excused.
*Pro tip: Try to ask the medical receptionist for the excuse documentation when you check in for an appt vs afterwards so as not to forget. Even virtual appts do still require a medical excuse note from the provider.
*Parent handwritten etc. notes saying they "had an appt" but turned in w/o an actual doctor's note w/ correct date(s) DO NOT qualify for any coding.
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*A parent/legal guardian may provide a parent note to excuse illness (ILP), but not for a medical appt, & please note parent written excuses do still count against the 90% attendance policy.
*These notes are required, to insure it does not appear they are parent excuse and not potentially skipping, and to help avoid the "warning letter" emails.
*Printable parent "ill excuse" notes are available above, copies at the front desk can be used as well or use it as a template to communicate the correct information.
Ideally these DPS appts are scheduled outside of school hours, but if your student is only able to get an appt during school hours please read carefully:
*Only ONE appointment date is allowed to be excused for a DPS visit while you are enrolled in AISD.
For DPS visit attendance to be excused both items must be turned in together:
1. Parent signed form (must be signed by a parent/guardian)
*DPS Driver’s License Verification Documentation form (printable form available above)
2. Proof of visit to DPS: just attach ONE of the acceptable forms of documentation from the DPS
(each must have student's full name and same date of visit):
*Payment receipt
*Copy of paper driver permit/license
*DPS ticket number paper (the small square paper from waiting in line (includes ticket number, student's full name, date, time, etc.)
*NOT ACCEPTED: copies of the email for confirmation of DPS appointment.
*Tip: if you need a "VOE" simply have your student sign up at the front desk in the main office., they have a QR code for them to sign up themselves.
*ASK EACH COLLEGE FOR A VERIFICATION OF ATTENDANCE LETTER: Documentation from the institute of higher learning, with the letterhead, a signature of the official from the institute, contact information, & specifying the students name with dates of visits(s) will excuse a college visit. This document is REQUIRED & no email confirmations/ for a planned visit will be accepted in it's place.
* A maximum of two (2) days during the junior and senior year may be taken to visit an institution of higher education accredited by a generally recognized accrediting organization to determine the student’s interest in attending the institution. Travel days are not included in the 2 days allowed to be excused, only the exact tour/visit day(s) on the documentation provided by the college.
*IF more than two days of college visits are planned, they must be approved by the administration PRIOR to the absence being potentially excused. Please contact your assistant principal with questions, the attendance office cannot approve this. Travel days are not included.
*If you forget to get a verification letter, please reach out to the campus visited and ask for one via email.
*College auditions do count as "college visits", but again only 2 days per year are allowed for this code.
Sometimes, students may be in the wrong seat during attendance, tardy but marked absent and not updated yet, or at a school event (the teacher for the class and/or the staff in charge of the extracurricular activity has to turn in a form to adjust these afterwards). These things do take time to process. Please have your scholar reach out to their teacher first to inquire if they have concerns.
Field trips/sport event attendance are marked normally by the teachers assigned to the student’s period(s) as unexcused when a student is not present in class, as required, and then will be updated after the event by the attending teacher, it is a requirement for them to do so but then is also a process which may take a while to update.
All ISS & HSS questions should be discussed with the assistant principal assigned to your student. The ISS attendance roster is updated periodically throughout the week and any HSS would require a referral process from the Asst. Principal, which may take some time.
ISS-does not count against the 90% policy, as they are on campus.
HSS-does count against the 90% policy - as they are off campus.
Unfortunately, I simply cannot adjust any attendance without a proper note from staff or admin etc. McCallum scholars should speak with the teacher themselves and then have them let me know if I need to adjust any attendance if needed. They may come to the attendance office if they have any questions after that. The teacher will have to report attendance changes to me with a specific teacher only form.
*Students may also sign up for attendance notifications in their student portal (same tab in the Frontline/ERP/SIS tile, next to the "report cards tab"
If your student is testing, they will likely not be in a regular scheduled class for attendance. The teacher will mark them absent and then within a few days the attendance specialist will single handedly fix each student's attendance with the attendance sheet that is taken in the testing room. It is not allowed to pre-post or fix attendance this same day. Parents/Guardians will get a notification of missed class & it will be updated as soon as possible.
Homebound services: please email the homebound teacher for inquiry, you may cc the attendance office to communicate easier if you would like.
Life-threatening illnesses: Please email the attendance office and/or your student's counselor to inquire if qualification is possible. Any documentation shared with a counselor or other staff member will need requested to be fwd to attendance office as well to review for qualification. The attendance office can help you on a case-by-case basis to get the correct doctor's note(s) and paperwork needed.
Students not in compliance with immunizations are excluded from classes until they are able to present an updated immunization record.
*Documentation from school nurse indicating non-compliance with immunization requirements-> student's attendance will be coded as "IM" in attendance. Please contact the school nurse if you have questions about vaccine compliance.
**ONCE ATTENDANCE IS CODED WITH THE "IM" CODE --> PLEASE NOTE THIS CODE STILL COUNTS AGAINST THE 90% ATTENDANCE POLICY RULE: PARENTS WILL NEED TO SUBMIT A DOCTOR EXCUSE NOTE FOR ANY VACCINE APPOINTMENT DAYS OR ANY DAY AFTER VACCINE REACTION DAYS - A PARENT NOTE OR VACCINE CARD/REPORT WILL NOT EXCUSE THIS-IT MUST BE A DOCTOR SIGNED EXCUSE NOTE.
Military Enlistment (ENL): Student who is 17 years of age or older and pursuing enlistment in a branch of the United States Armed Services or the National Guard may be excused for this purpose.
*Documentation that verifies the student’s activities related to pursuing enlistment in a branch of the Armed Services or the Texas National Guard such as a letter from the branch of the Armed Service of the United States or Texas National Guard indicating the dates of visitation; dates may not exceed four days. The letter must be dated and signed w/ student’s full name.
*no more than four days of school during the period the student is enrolled in high school.
Military Deployment (MIL): Student is absent to visit with legal parent/stepparent/guardian who is an active-duty member of the uniformed services and has been called to duty for, is on leave from, or is immediately returned from continuous deployment. A maximum of five days during the school year may be excused.
*Documentation from military branch of service indicating date of deployment or return from deployment. Note: All sensitive information must be redacted from the documentation. Proof of legal
Playing Taps (TAP): Student misses' school for the purpose of sounding “Taps” at a military honors funeral held in Texas for a deceased veteran.
*Funeral program or letter/documentation from the funeral home indicating student's name and states they were participating in the sounding of “Taps”.
Attendance Warning letters are delivered each approx. monthly, when our automated system indicates 3 or more unexcused absences. If you received this auto-email/letter from the main office about attendance, please first review your student’s attendance record in the AISD Parent Portal. Then submit any document(s) that still need to be turned into the attendance office that you may have forgotten or may have been lost in a backpack etc. Your student's attendance may have been updated between the print date of this letter and when you received it, please double check by logging in to you parent portal. Visit your Parent Portal (frontline/SIS attendance) to view attendance details for each class period (see the attendance tab next to grades).
*Please contact your student's Asst. Principal if you have concerns about multiple absences needing make-up hours for excessive absences/skipping class concerns, etc.
*Feel free to disregard any automated communication if you have checked your parent portal, see that they absences are already excused, and 100% know you've done your part to inform us about absence(s) ie: entered correct docs/info google form and got confirm email of submission OR use it as a reminder to send in a note if you haven't. Your student may also utilize lunch period time to go speak with the attendance office. Visit your Parent Portal (frontline/SIS attendance) to view attendance details for each class period (see the attendance tab next to grades). Thank you!
Mentorship & work-based Learning (MNT): High School student is participating in a mentorship approved by district personnel to serve as one or more of the advanced measures needed to complete the Distinguished Achievement Program out lined in 19 TAC Chapter 74.
*Documentation from the Distinguished Achievement Program.
Funeral(s) (OTH): *please send a handwritten note with explanation of missed time, this will then have to be reviewed by the Attendance committee for approval.
Court (CRT): Absent due to attending a required in court appearance.
*to meet with probation officers and other absences related to court ordered activities outside the courtroom do not qualify as required court appearances.
*Copy of pleading or other official document filed with the court such as a notice from the court clerk regarding a hearing or trial date; jury summons; subpoena etc. MUST have date of absence and student's full name for absence to be excused.
Family Protective Services Obligations: Absence due to attending Texas Family Code specific activities.
*Documentation must include DFPS personnel, student name, dates of activities (Caseworkers should provide this documentation)
*this code is kept private within the district to provide privacy for our students. Please email attendance office or your students assistant principal if you have a direct questions about this specific type of attendance.
Election Clerk (EC): Student 16 years or older may be excused for absence to serve as student early voting clerk/student election clerk (travel days limited to not more than 1 day to and 1 day from) *must provide both completion of training course & documentation from election official.
Citizenship & Naturalization (CIT): US Citizenship and Immigration Services office appointment notice/ Biometric Screening: absence is for attending to the student’s own citizenship or oath ceremony.
Google form not working for you?
-you might try on a different device?
-using google browser usually helps issues a lot w/ AISD links etc.
-double check that the internet connection is good.
-also make sure the google account you are logged in with is a parent email account, sometimes it might get confused if you have multiple accounts auto saved/logged in.
-you may want to try again by first removing the extra google accounts from the saved login.
-contact AISD Family Technology Service Desk.
How many days can be missed before losing credits? & Twilight Program/Saturday School: No more than 4 unexcused days/per course period/per semester, otherwise hours will need to be made up as they will be below 90% attendance @ Twilight after school days or Saturday School. *Must sign up with a counselor for make-up/tutoring work or assigned assistant principal for attendance make up & details.
SPED/504: Sped and 504 accommodations do not include directly excusing attendance with said paperwork. Please see your student's assistant principal or the 504 coordinator for inquiry.
Tutoring and attendance logs must be kept up with and are the student's' responsibility. Only counselors and APs have all the information/log sheets etc.
McCallum Twilight program: starting on October 3rd. Running from October 3rd to December 6th, the program will be available exclusively on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, taking place in room 155, from 4:45 to 6:15 pm. The program's primary aim is to facilitate credit recovery, grade repair, and attendance make-up. To get started, students are required to meet with their school counselors, who will assist in registering them for this beneficial program or for attendance hour makeups please contact your students' Assistant Principal. We strongly encourage all eligible students to take advantage of this opportunity to boost their academic progress.
*Saturday School: occasional Saturdays every month, will be staring in October (NO SATURDAY SCHOOL FALL 2023, SPRING 2024 HAS STARTED-see principal's weekend update emails for up to date Saturday info): 8am-Noon, students MUST be on time as doors will be locked at 8:00am on the dot. They must bring work and work the entire 4 hours, there will be no coming late/leaving early allowed. Please contact your student's counselor if you have additional questions.
*Changes simply cannot be made without all proper documentation. Please read documentation requirements before submitting notes.
*Attendance notifications are from an automated system (you can adjust your phone/email preferences in the parent portal).
*Even if you give advance notice or turn in a note the day of absences, it's impossible for us to beat the notification system.
*Every single attendance note is manually entered which is why we ask parents to allow a minimum of 72 hours for attendance changes to show in Parent Self-Serve (frontline/SIS).
How can I help the attendance process?
*Austin ISD is required to submit its attendance to the Texas Education Agency reflecting student attendance at a specific time each day. Please try to schedule appointments for your student after school, but if that is too difficult, try and schedule medical appointments after 10:30 AM.
*Please do not send multiples of the same document, choose either the google form submission or turn in a note to the front desk & be patient this just adds more to the queue!
*Read all instructions carefully for special excuse notes/forms (see below for details).
*Always send the pink slip back together with the excuse/doctor note (physical paper turn in OR email), do not let students keep these-they are supposed to leave them at the front desk when signing in/out.
*take pictures/save fil