Attendance

Regular attendance is very important to maintain a consistent learning environment for our students. It is the family’s responsibility to ensure their student attends school and to notify the school when their student is absent for a legitimate reason, such as an illness or family emergency.

School Attendance Line

District and school policy states that you must report any student absences to the school. If your student will be out for the day due to sickness or an unseen event, please call the attendance line:

303-982-6382, option #1

View the Student & Family Handbook

Dennison Attendance and Tardy Procedures

Dennison Elementary requests that parents or legal guardians call the attendance line before 9:00 a.m. to report absences. Please note, the front office must be notified of all absences. Please do not rely on the teachers to communicate absences.

What to do if your student is tardy:

The first bell rings at 7:45 a.m.
For arrivals at 8 a.m. or later, parents need to check in at the office for a tardy slip.
After 8 a.m., please call the main office at 303-982-6382, option #1.

Tardies

Students who are tardy regularly miss the first instructions of the school day and are disruptive to the class when they arrive. Please make every effort to have your children arrive at school on time.

Prompt arrival at school is considered a norm at Dennison. A student arriving by 7:55 a.m. is considered tardy. This will impact your student’s perfect attendance goal. Tardies will be excused with a note from parents explaining the reason.

Planned absences

If your child will be absent for more than one day, you may note that on the first day’s call. If you anticipate only one day’s absence and it turns into two or three days, contact the school each successive day.

Pre-arranged absence forms can be found here. Pre-arranged absences can also be entered into your child's Infinite Campus account. For instructions, please click here. Please note, the pre-arranged absence form will still need to be completed for Principal approval. If your child will be out for an extended time the office needs to be filled notified for the absence to be excused.

Please do not have your child call to report absences. An absence is unexcused until a parent calls or fills out a completed form or Campus is updated.

Absences interfere with instructional continuity, regardless of attempts to make up work. Parents will receive a letter from the principal at the end of each trimester if the student has been absent or tardy for five or more days.

How to Call in an Absence

Attendance Line: 303-982-6382, option#1

When calling to excuse an absence, please leave the following information:

Month and date of absence being reported
Student’s last name, first name
Name of student’s teacher
Reason for absence
Person reporting absence

Please do not leave an email for student absences.

Early Departures

For early departure during the day, the parent must check the student out through the office by signing the Check-In and Out sheet. You may call the office five to 10 minutes before arrival to sign them out, and the office will have the student packed up and waiting for the parent’s arrival.

Parent consent for pick-up

Whenever someone other than the parent will be picking up a student from school during school hours, the parent must send a note or call the office with this information:

Name of the person authorized to pick up the student
Reason for the early departure
Pick up time
Whether or not the student will return to school that day

Please try to limit early checkout to emergency situations. The office will notify the teacher to dismiss the student at the specified time. The teacher will not release a student unless notified by the office to do so. The student must be signed out by a parent or other authorized individual before departure from the building.

Illnesses

Students who have definite signs of colds, communicable diseases or other illnesses (fever) should not be sent to school. If your student is diagnosed as having a communicable infection, please report that finding to the school office promptly.

Communicable diseases include strep infection, pink eye (conjunctivitis), measles, mumps, mononucleosis, rubella, chicken pox, impetigo, head lice and scabies.

If your child is absent more than four days in a row, please provide a physician’s documentation for the absences upon request.

View the health services page for information on how sick is too sick for school.

Vacations

Make-up work is not a substitute for instruction received in the classroom. Vacations taken during the regular school session are strongly discouraged. If you are going to take a vacation, fill out the Pre-Arranged Absence form below or in the main office.

Parents are urged to plan for their children to be in school except in the case of illness. Before planning vacation time, please consult with your teacher regarding assessment schedules.

Pre-Arranged Absence Form

Attendance in Jeffco

The importance of regular, daily school attendance as a basis for academic achievement cannot be overemphasized. Attendance is a shared responsibility of the student, the families and the school.

It is the family’s responsibility to ensure their student attends school and to notify the school when their student is absent for a legitimate reason, such as an illness or family emergency. Each family should also ensure their student’s school has their correct contact information so that the school is able to communicate about any attendance issues that may arise.

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