Please notify the Attendance Clerk by calling AHA’s direct attendance line at 612-798-0760 or email attendance@ahastars.org by 10 a.m. the day of the absence. (No attendance calls should be made to the AHA main office) If a student is not in school, and notification has not been received, the attendance office will call the parent/guardian’s numbers on file. An absence not excused by a parent/ guardian is considered a skip and results in detention and zero credit for each class missed.
Within a trimester, if a student misses more than eight (8) times in any one class for non-school sponsored events, NO CREDIT will be given for that class. Parents are encouraged to go to the AHA Web site, www.academyofholyangels.org and visit myAHA for up-to-date attendance information.
Non-school sponsored events include family vacations, illness, medical appointments, driver license exams, college visits, weather delays and suspension.
Students involved in cocurricular activities who are absent or arrive after 10 a.m., or are sent home during the school day due to illness or for disciplinary reasons, may not practice, compete or perform in their activity for that day. The Athletic or Activities Directors handle exceptions to this policy.
Students absent from school are expected to complete their missed assignments, testing and in-class work by the designated due date for each subject, which generally will be two days of make-up time for each day absent. Additional assignments may be given upon return, and there may be some classroom or laboratory work, which due to its nature, cannot be made up or cannot be given full credit. Assignments can be found on myAHA. If assistance with this process is needed, contact the school nurse.
If an illness results in the student missing three or more consecutive days of school, a doctor’s note with diagnosis is required upon returning to school. The school is not questioning the validity of the illness, rather the concern is about the necessity of the absence during the school year. Students who exceed the eight-absence-per-trimester limit will still be excused due to a serious illness if they have a doctor’s note explaining the reasons.
The Academy does not condone tardiness to school or class. Being on time is a necessary attribute for success in a student’s future life and is a sign of courtesy to teachers, students, and other school personnel. Students arriving tardy to school (from 7:50 to 8:15 a.m.) must sign in at the Convocation Center lobby desk and list arrival time. If the student arrives at 8:16 a.m. or after to his or her first period class, this is considered an absence from the class, and the student must see the Attendance Clerk at the desk in the Convocation Center Lobby or in the Attendance Office for a pass before going to class. This procedure must be followed for all other late arrivals after period one also. Failure to do so will result in one hour of detention. A written excuse or call from a parent or guardian before class is required, or the periods missed are considered skips. Absences that are considered skips result in zero credit for every class missed. Students receiving seven (7) tardies to any period will be contacted by the Attendance Office as will their parents. Each additional tardy will result in the student being marked absent from the class. The teacher may refuse entrance and send the student to the Attendance Office. This absence is included in the eight-absence limit.
This policy does not affect students on late school buses.
When a student reaches eight tardies to any class within a trimester and/or has established a pattern of absenteeism, the student may not be allowed to attend practice on a date to be specified by the Athletic or Activities Directors. Each tardy after eight will result in sitting out another practice.
A reminder that on Late Start days, students are to be in their period 1 class by 8:25 a.m. It is strongly recommended that students still leave for school at the regular time as traffic is often busier the later it gets. Students who arrive before 8:25 a.m. can socialize or study in the gym, the commons or in the library. If they choose to get something to eat or drink before coming to school, there are many options close by and they can still make it to class on time.
Special permits are issued to students who need to leave school for a portion of the day for appointments and other non-school sponsored events. We encourage parents to plan ahead and make appointments before and after school hours. To receive a special permit, a student must bring written consent from a parent or guardian to the Attendance Clerk in the lobby prior to first period of the day he or she needs to leave school. In the event that this is not possible, parents must call the Attendance Clerk at 612-798-2640 or call the attendance line at 612-798-0760 prior to the student’s first-period class. (No calls should be made to the AHA Main Office.) Last-minute calls to the school requesting that a student be dismissed during the school day are discouraged and should be considered only in emergency situations. The office cannot contact students with messages except in urgent cases. No student is allowed to leave school without permission of a parent or guardian or without a pass from the Attendance Office. This absence is included in the eight-absence limit. When returning to school after a special permit release, students must check in at the lobby desk to get a pass back to class. Failure to check in or out at the lobby desk results in one hour of detention.
These absences must be approved one week in advance through the Attendance Office. These absences are included in the eight-absence limit. If the preplanned event is for a planned medical treatment, a doctor’s excuse must be provided upon returning to school.
The student must bring a written request from the parent/guardian stating the dates of the planned absence. The Attendance Clerk will give the student an Extended Absence form which must be signed by the parent, each of the student’s teachers, and the principals. The teachers indicate on the form the assignments the student must complete, and the date due. The teachers may also express any concerns they have about the student missing class. The student then will return the completed form to the Attendance Clerk who makes one copy for the student and keeps one copy for school records. Failure to follow this procedure may result in the student not being able to make up missing assignments or tests.
Because attendance is vital to the educational process, families are urged to plan vacations that correspond to holidays on the school calendar. Students should not take vacations during the last two weeks of a trimester or during final exams. Vacations will not be considered an acceptable excuse for a student requesting to make up missed finals.
The Academy of Holy Angels does not endorse individuals or groups of students taking school time for trips when not accompanied by a parent or guardian.
(i.e., major illness or hospitalization)
Absences of five consecutive school days or more are considered long-term. The Academy of Holy Angels will help coordinate a plan make up academic trimester work for students who can attend 70 percent of the instructional time in a trimester. When it becomes evident that it is no longer possible for a student to attend 70 percent of the instructional time, the student will be withdrawn from the class with no academic penalty. This will be done with the understanding that major physical or emotional illness takes precedence over academic affairs and that the Academy of Holy Angels does not provide a service to homebound students.
The school maintains the right to require medical documentation with a diagnosis or other documentation that identifies the cause from a qualified professional in that particular field with regard to long-term absence.
An academic trimester crisis make-up plan will be constructed with the following stipulations:
Upon completion of the academic trimester make-up plan, consideration will be given to a “pass” grade if the student earns a grade of D- or better. The academic trimester make-up plan may also include the following accommodations to the curriculum:
A. For study during this time, juniors and seniors go to the Commons. They must respect those who are in class, and stay out of the corridors and away from lockers. Abuse of this privilege will result in study hall assignment.
B. Juniors and seniors without off-campus privileges must:
C. Seniors with off-campus privileges must:
Failure to check in as indicated above results in one hour of detention. Continual failure to check in may result in loss of unscheduled or off-campus privileges and being scheduled into a study hall.
When Holy Angels is a participant
Occasionally during semi-final play, AHA will run a modified schedule ending school early when game start times make it appropriate to do so.
When Holy Angels is not a participant
Students must present written consent from a parent/guardian to the Attendance Office before first period at least one day before the day of the game. This absence is included in the eight-absence limit. Students may not leave sooner than one-half hour before game time, and they must be in uniform while they are in the building.
The privilege of off-campus is available to those seniors who are eligible.
A. Criteria
1. No student who has been found off-campus without permission, who has skipped all or part of a school day, or where status in WAC portfolio, Online Health or Service Hours is "Incomplete" or "Not Passing" is eligible. Students who, as ninth to eleventh graders, have high number of absences or tardies, outstanding detentions, and/or uniform fines, and/or have engaged in other inappropriate or disrespectful behavior may also not be eligible at the start of the school year. A meeting with the Assistant Principal is required before off-campus privileges will be granted.
2. Student and parents must complete and sign the contract. Off-campus privilege may be exercised the day after the contract is turned into the Assistant Principal. Random checks are made to ensure signatures are legitimate. Parents are encouraged to call the school if they are concerned about whether their student has permission to exercise their off-campus privilege.
B. For those granted off-campus privileges, the following restrictions apply:
1. Students must be in the school building or off the school grounds during free time. They may not be in the parking lot or back yard. Students must enter and exit the building using the Convocation Center entrance. No other entrance can be used. Students are required to sign in and out when entering and exiting the building and to show their student ID cards if requested by staff.
2. Students with period seven free do not check out with the Lobby supervisor as they do other periods Students must check in each day with the Commons supervisor and inform them if they are leaving campus. If they are not leaving campus, they must stay in the Commons.
3. Students must attend all school assemblies, including those held at the end of the school day. Seniors with period seven as a free period must check in with the Commons supervisor at the beginning and end of the period on the days when an assembly is being held after period seven.
4. No outside job or activity can be scheduled during the hours of 7:50 a.m. to 2:40 p.m. on school days so that students may attend all-school assemblies when scheduled.
C. The off-campus privilege will be revoked for any senior whose status in W.A.C., Online Health or Service Hours at mid-trimester throughout the year is "Incomplete" or "Not Passing" or is failing one or more courses at mid-trimester.
Once the status in W.A.C., Online Health, or Service Hours is moved to "Complete" or "Passing" or the failing grade is moved to passing, the off-campus privilege is restored. Seniors failing a class at the end of a trimester will lose their off-campus privilege for two weeks.
D. The off-campus privilege may be revoked permanently--
on the recommendation of any staff member based on disciplinary or academic considerations, upon consideration by the Assistant Principal. Students found propping open locked outside doors are also subject to having their off-campus privilege revoked. Those seniors for whom the privilege is denied will be required to check into the Commons during their free period.
Ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth graders are expected to attend one retreat day during the school year.
Field trips are taken to enhance education. Although students are expected to attend unless arrangements have been made with the teacher, field trips are a privilege. A student whose behavior or attitude does not meet classroom expectations may not be allowed on field trips. A student who does not submit a permission slip signed by a parent/guardian will not be allowed to participate. Students are required to ask for and make up all assignments and homework for classes missed due to the field trip. All school policies apply and will be enforced on field trips. This policy applies to all school-sponsored trips to domestic or foreign destinations of any duration.
AHA's chemical health policy is fully enforced. This policy is for the entire AHA community: students, teachers, coaches, counselors, administrators, support staff, chaperones, parents and alumni. It covers use and abuse, dependency, education, counseling, and referral relating to alcohol and other mood-altering chemicals. All activities held on school property, at any school-related events off school property, and information from police reports and other reliable reports regarding off-campus activity are covered by the policy. Policy Statement 2:
2. Adults - Believing that adult members of the community are role models for our students, AHA encourages those who choose to use alcohol to do so responsibly, keeping in mind the example they are setting.
a. Alcohol may not be served at AHA events that include both adults and students unless prior approval is granted by the President.
b. Any adult chaperoning students is asked to refrain from using alcohol or other mood-altering chemicals immediately prior to and during the time of his/her responsibility.
Students coming on campus in the morning are to remain on school grounds for the rest of the day. The only exception is seniors with off-campus privileges. The Commons courtyard is the only outside area for student use during free time. Students are not allowed in the parking lot during the school day. Students who are dismissed early from classes to attend a field trip or a Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) activity must remain on campus until their class or team leaves for the event. Permission from the Assistant Principal, Dean for Student Life or Attendance Clerk must be obtained before leaving school grounds during the school day. Students leaving campus without permission are ineligible for off-campus privileges as seniors. Parents are contacted and the student is assigned to detention. A second offense results in suspension until a conference with the parent or guardian has taken place. The student may be expelled.
AHA posts the year-long school calendar on the Web site (www.academyofholyangels.org) as soon as it is released. Please use it in planning vacations, appointments and attendance at school events.
(6/17/09 mn; 5/07/10mn; 6/13/11 7/9/12, 6/7/13mn; 6/12/13mn-, 6/19/2014 mn, 8/15/16 ga; 6/26/18; 10-11-19 cd)
