Attendance Policies and Procedures
Students are expected to regularly attend their Edison Academy class, as scheduled, in order to achieve success.
Students are responsible for missed work and time missed in Academy classes due to ALL ABSENCES, including absences for illness, doctor appointments, family obligations, AND those for base school AP/SOL testing, base school assemblies and meetings or bell-schedule changes at the base school that cause a student to miss their Academy class.
Reporting Edison Academy Absences
A Student's Absence MUST ALWAYS be reported to BOTH the student's BASE HIGH SCHOOL and to EDISON ACADEMY. Base Schools WILL NOT REPORT a student's absence(s) to the Academy.
Absences are defined as:
- Failure to attend class
- Tardiness of 20 minutes or more
- Early check out where student will miss some or all of their academy class
More on reporting absences:
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Absences known ahead of time (college visits, field trips, family travel) require a Pre-Arranged Absence Form. This form is available in the Academy Office and at base high schools. It is also available here. This form should be submitted 2 days prior to the student's planned absence.
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To report unexpected absences, please use the Online Attendance Form (new for 2021-22) or call the Edison Academy Office 24 Hour Attendance Line, 703-924-8137, to report the absence. Handwritten notes from parents delivered by students are not encouraged as a method of reporting absences.
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Unexpected absences should be reported no later than the day of the absence. Absences not reported within 3 days of the student missing their Academy class, may not be accepted and may be marked as unexcused.
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Early Check-out from the Academy (including for student illness) - Parent must call or email Academy Attendance giving the time and the reason for student's early departure. Students must always sign out in the Academy office before leaving school grounds for early check-out from the Academy. Leaving school grounds without checking out will result in an unexcused absence in the class(es) missed. Please allow 15 minutes notice before the student's check out time.
NOTE: We must hear from a Parent/Guardian for student absences. We do not accept notices from students.
The Academy determines if student absences are excused or unexcused. We highly encourage students to attend their Academy class as scheduled and to miss only when absolutely necessary.
When reporting an absence all of the following must be included:
- Student School ID Number (very important)
- Student first name and last name (and middle name if applicable)
- Date(s) of Absence
- Grade level
- Course(s) student is missing at Edison Academy
- Name of Base High School
- Parent/Guardian name (first and last)
- Parent/Guardian Daytime telephone or mobile (cell) phone number
- Parent/Guardian Email address ( if applicable)
- Reason for absence - Be specific about the reason why your child will not be attending school and please indicate whether your child has any of the following symptoms:
- Feeling feverish or having chills
- Fever greater than or equal to 100.4 F
- Headache (not due to another health condition, hunger, menstrual cramps stress, or injury)
- A new cough (not due to another health condition)
- Shortness of breath or breathing difficulties (not due to diagnosed respiratory condition or if different than normal pattern of chronic condition)
- A new sore throat (not due to another health condition)
- Congestion or runny nose (not related to allergies or health condition)
- Fatigue (more tired than normal or sudden onset)
- New muscle pain (not due to another health condition or that may have been caused by a specific activity such as physical exercise)
- New loss of taste, smell, or appetite
- Abdominal pain (not due to hunger, constipation, injury, or stress)
- Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
E-Notify Calls go out midmorning and evening to the telephone number provided to the Academy in our Student Information System (SIS). This call is to make parent/guardians aware of unverified and unexcused absences.
