ATTENDANCE FAQs
- Who works in
the attendance office? The attendance office
consists of two clerks and one dean.
Clerk Sallye Vandenberg- sallye.vandenberg@ocps.net 407-905-6402
Clerk Elsa Rosales- Elsa.rosales@ocps.net 407-905-6430
Dean Lauren Bradley- Lauren.bradley@ocps.net 407-905-6417
- What is the
role of the attendance office? The attendance office is responsible for
monitoring student attendance, tardiness and truancy daily, adjusting
attendance based on testing and other school events and working with the
FLDOE county and DMV on student attendance data. We are here to help
students and families be successful and support you with any questions or
concerns you may have.
- What is truancy
and why is it important? Truancy means a student has had at least 5
unexcused absences within a calendar month or 10 unexcused absences within
a 90 calendar day period. If a student becomes truant there are procedures
in place that could result in legal action.
- What can happen
if my child becomes truant? The school will have to proceed with
interventions that include legal action and a student’s permit or license
can be revoked.
- What is
considered an excused and unexcused absence? An excused absence
includes a medical appointment, counseling session, legal appointment,
funeral of a family member or close friend or family emergency*. An
unexcused absence may include personal reasons, shopping trips or
vacation. *Documentation is
required.
- Where does my
child bring notes if they are out of school? All documentation can be
placed in two secure mailboxes that are located in the attendance office.
There is one mailbox on either side of the office.
- Why I am
getting emails regarding my child’s tardiness? We are utilizing a new
tardy system called HERO to
track student tardiness. If a student does not report to class on time
(they have 6 minutes in between classes) they have to report to a tardy
cart nearest their classroom to obtain a tardy. If we have a parent email
on file then the parent will receive real-time notification of their
child’s tardy. Click here for parent and/or student log-in.
- What happens
when my child is tardy? We provide students 6 warnings on their
tardy passes and on the 7th tardy a student is subject to
disciplinary action which can include a referral, attendance contract or
other disciplinary action including 1 day of PASS. We highly encourage
students to be on time in order to maximize instruction in the classroom.
- What can I do
if I am concerned about my child’s attendance? You can reach out to your child’s
teachers, guidance counselor or the attendance office to address any
concerns.
- Can my child sign themselves out and leave campus if they are
18 years old? If a student that is 18 needs to leave campus the
attendance dean will call a parent to authorize. This practice is
discouraged unless it is an absolute emergency. 17 year old students or
students that drive their own vehicle to campus require a parent or guardian
to sign them out if it is needed based on state law
requirements.
If you have
specific questions or concerns about attendance please call our office or click
on the parent guide link below.
https://www.ocps.net/cms/One.aspx?portalId=54703&pageId=988876