If a student is absent during the school day, they should NOT attend any evening performance or activity scheduled for their grade level. Your cooperation is needed in helping to maintain a healthy environment for all students and staff.

Make-Up Work: If a student is unable to attend school for one or two days, he/she will receive make-up work upon return to school and be given an appropriate due date. For extended emergencies/illness, a parent may call the office on the morning of the third day of absence to request make-up work. A parent may then come to the office the following morning to pick up homework. If the extended illness results in an absence of more than two weeks, a homebound tutor may be provided. Please contact the school office.

Medical Documentation: Under certain circumstances, parents or guardians may be required to present medical documentation of physical or emotional conditions causing a student’s absence.

Health Policies: The health policies listed below are recommended by the DuPage County Health Department and are followed here at Reba O. Steck School to maintain a safe and healthy school environment:

1. If your child is running a fever, the Health Department recommends the child’s temperature be normal (98.6) for 24 hours before returning to school.
2. Do not send your child to school with a consistent cough or runny nose, as this infects other children.
3. Keep children home for 24 hours after vomiting and flu symptoms subside. This helps to ensure a healthy reentry into the classroom.
4. Please report all cases of strep throat and strep-related infections to the school nurse or health aide.
5. All communicable diseases (chicken pox, head lice, impetigo, mumps, measles, etc.) must be reported to the school nurse. There are specific requirements and regulations for readmission to school after having a communicable disease.
6. Please do not send children to school if they have diarrhea or vomiting.
7. A student who has been absent from school for more than five (5) days or who has a communicable disease must present a physician’s release for readmission to school.
8. If a rash is present, it needs to be evaluated by a physician. A diagnosis of the underlying cause should be elicited before re-admittance to school.
9. If there are signs of conjunctivitis (“pink eye”) with matter/ drainage in one or both eyes, itching, redness, or crust on the eyelid, the child needs to be evaluated by a physician. Antibiotic therapy needs to be maintained for 24 hours before re-admittance to school.
10. Parents must report absences to the office by 9:30 AM (attendance line is 375-3500, prompt 3).
11. Please keep your emergency phone numbers and contacts updated! Notify the school office of any changes.

Again, your help and cooperation in maintaining a healthy school environment is most appreciated. If you have questions, please contact our School Nurse or our Health Aide.

Vacations: Every effort should be made to not have students miss school for vacation purposes. When absence occurs due to a vacation, students will not receive homework in advance. Experience has shown that it is difficult at best for teachers to accurately predict what homework will be and for students to do homework properly on vacation. Upon return to school, students will receive make-up work and an appropriate due date.

If parents want to keep their children academically engaged while on vacation, please have them read, keep a journal, and practice math facts.

If you must be gone during the school attendance time:

1. Notify the Office and the classroom teacher

2. Include the dates the student will be gone

3. Specify if it is vacation or out of the country for an extended period of time.

Excessive Absenteeism & Tardiness: Reba O. Steck School considers absenteeism/tardiness excessive when it significantly interferes with a student’s learning, as reflected in academic performance or social development and/or is more than 10% (i.e. 4-5 days per quarter) of the days school has been in session. Excessive absenteeism includes excessive tardiness of 10% or more of the days school has been in session. Parents will be notified if there are excessive absences or tardies.

Resources and Supportive Services: The following resources and supportive services are available to students with attendance problems and their parents or guardians: conference with school personnel; or any other appropriate support team members; or referral to community agencies for appropriate services.

Tardiness: If a student arrives at school after 9:05 AM, he/she should report to the office for a pass. Please note: students enter the building at 8:50 AM and are in the classroom by 9:05 AM, ready to start the day.

A request to have a child dismissed early should be sent in writing with the child on the morning of the dismissal. Parents must come to the school office. We will send for your child as you sign them out for dismissal. A child will be released only to their parents unless other arrangements have been made. Because of natural congestion at dismissal time each day, we ask that if you pick up your child early, you must do so before 3:20. No students will be dismissed from class after 3:20.

Late arrivals must sign in at the office and will be issued a pass to enter their classroom.