Because  High School classes meet for only 64 days of instruction, and Middle School/Elementary classes meets for only 24 or 48 days of instruction, it is crucial that students be in class. Not only do absences result in them missing valuable instruction that cannot be conveyed through notes or email, but they create more work for teachers and staff who are already spending a great deal of time outside of Co-op hours to serve students.

Arrival times: 

• For campus specific instructions regarding drop off, see Grace, Hampton Heights, and CATM procedure guidelines.
• For 2nd – 4th hour, students may arrive at Co-op 10 minutes prior to their first class (but no more than 10 minutes) in order to make their way into the building and arrive in their classroom on time.
• All students must enter through the designated student drop off/entry door.

Missed classes (full day)

Planned Absences:

• The parent should inform the teacher at least 2 class periods prior to the expected absence so that the teacher can guide the student in the work to be done. This should be followed up by an email from the parent.
• Assignments should be turned in before the absence unless prior arrangements are made with the teacher to turn them in on the day the student returns to class.

Absence due to Illness:

Note: This applies to student illness ONLY (not to absences due to trips, family events, sports, plays, jobs, etc.) 

If a student becomes ill over the weekend or on the morning of a Co-op class day:

• The parent must communicate on the day of the absence informing all the student’s teachers of the student’s sickness.
• High School students may communicate with teachers themselves unless they are too sick to do so. If this is the case, the parent must communicate with the teachers.
• Assignments due on the date of the absence must be turned in that day at the beginning of the class it is assigned for, or by the due date and time of online assignments or juno pods. It should be attached to the parent or student’s message to their teachers regarding the student’s absence. OR the assignments due can be brought to UHC and turned in by a sibling or parent. This should be communicated to the teachers in the student’s or parent’s message regarding the student’s absence that day.
• If the student did not wake up sick, but has been ill before a co-op day/is too sick to complete all of the assigned work on the due dates, the parent should work directly with the teacher to make a plan for the student’s missed work. Unless arrangements are made with the teacher for an extended due date, all assignments are due on the date given in JE.
• Waiting until the last minute to complete an assignment and then becoming ill or having other unexpected circumstances prevent the student from completing the assignment is not necessarily a reason for an extension of the due date.
• Unless there was a hospitalization, or other extenuating circumstances, there should be no more than one additional week given to make up work.
• The student is responsible to call a fellow classmate to get class notes, and information concerning new assignments given on the day of the absence. All assignments are due on the due dates specified in JE unless arrangements with the teacher have been made for an extension.
• Lack of communication with the teacher concerning an absence will result in the application of the late work policy which will apply as stated in the appropriate grade level grading policy.
• If the student has been absent for more than one day in succession, he must continue to communicate with the teacher to schedule assignment due dates.
• The teacher will not hold up the introduction of new concepts due to student absences, nor will the teacher be obligated to go back over material missed due to absences. It is the responsibility of the student to procure the help of a parent or tutor if help is needed with concepts missed due absences.
• In the event of a contagious disease related absence, a doctor’s note may be required to access additional classroom support.

Absence due to appointments (dentist, doctor, athletic events or other extra-curricular events)

• If a student needs to arrive on campus late or leave early, the parent will notify both the teacher and the appropriate Director (High School – Beth Martin, Middle School – Karla Partin, Elementary -Abby Williams or Jennifer Lee).
• In addition to notifying the teacher and Director, the student must turn in work due in ALL UHC classes immediately upon arriving at Co-op that day, or before departing early that day. Failure to do so will result in a zero on assignments not turned in for the classes missed that day.

Repeated absences may cause a student to have to retake a class before progressing to the next level class or graduating at/with UHC.

This will be decided by the teacher, appropriate director, and the Executive Director.

It is possible for a plan to be made for coursework to be completed during the summer with the student reporting directly to the Executive Director.

Tardies 6th-12th:

• If a student is tardy, the teacher will not be expected to hold up the introduction of new concepts due to student tardiness, nor will the teacher be obligated to go back over material missed due to tardiness. Being on time is an issue of respect for classmates and the instructor.
• When a non-driving student arrives late to campus and class has already begun, a parent will park, walk the student to the door, and call/text the student name to the Campus Floater whose number will be posted at  the door. When a driving student arrives after the doors are locked, he/she will text/call the number to request entry.
• When the bell rings, MS/HS classroom doors will be shut and students should be in their seats, not just coming into class.
• Any student who is tardy will be marked tardy in JE. At the end of every month, a report will be run, and students who have 3 or more tardies will be assigned a consequence (see Conduct Policy and General Discipline Policy).
• A single tardy may result in the daily grade or participation grade for that class being marked down at the discretion of the teacher.
• If 3 unexcused tardies are reached in a month in the same class, the teacher may mark down assignments that were due on the day of the 3rd and any subsequent tardies.
• If the student knows they will be late before leaving home or during transit, the student or parent must contact the teacher ASAP.
• If an incident happens on the way to co-op that causes a student to be tardy, the student should alert the teacher as soon as they are safely able to do so.