Attendance Policies
The right and privilege of attending public school carries with it certain responsibilities on the part of both parents and students. High School attendance is ultimately the responsibility of the students and his/her family. It is important that parents and students recognize the direct relationship which exists between academic success and regular school attendance. Students should remain out of school only when absolutely necessary because much of the classroom activity cannot be replicated; the benefit of lectures, discussion and participation is lost forever to those who are absent.
| Absence Policy | Illness at School |
| Assemblies | Off-campus pass |
| Attendance Zone | Make-up Work Policy |
| Emergencies | Visitors on campus |
| Sweep Policy | Deliveries |
Parents and legal guardians-please inform the front office as soon as possible if:
- You have any changes in your work/home phone number
- You have a change of address
We must have current phone numbers in the event we need to contact you for any reason.
When notifying us of a change of address, please provide the front office with a copy of a current utility bill (SRP, SW gas or City of Tempe) showing that your residence is within the MdN attendance area. If you have moved outside of the MdN attendance area, an Open Enrollment Application Form must be submitted.
The school has a responsibility to set a reasonable policy for attendance and to determine the action to be taken for excessive absences. Following is the policy that will be followed at Marcos de Niza High School:
Eleven total absences, based on a referral from the teacher, excused or unexcused, will cause a student to receive no credit in that class for the semester unless there are extenuating circumstances.
All absences will be considered unexcused unless reported to the Attendance Office by the parents or guardians no later than the day of return to school. Any student with an unexcused absence will receive a Saturday detention of four hours. If a student does not attend the assigned detention, they will be suspended for two (2) days by the administration.
Parents or legal guardians may excuse absences through the MdN 24-hour attendance line. To report an absence, please dial (480) 730-7659 select option #2. In order for an absence to be excused, the parent or legal guardian must call the Attendance Office within 24 hours of the absence. Please be specific when reporting periods to be missed.
When a student is absent and unexcused, they cannot make up assignments. Therefore, we ask that parents/legal guardians call to excuse an absence on the day that the student is absent or, if there is no phone available, then a note is to be sent the day the student returns to school. In order for an absence to be excused, the parent/legal guardian must contact the Attendance Office within 24 hours of the absence.
Homework request – If a student is absent three or more consecutive days and you would like homework assignments, please contact teachers directly or a homework request may be placed with the office. Please allow 24 hours when requesting homework.
Absence Due to Reasons Other Than Disabling Illness of Self or Immediate Family: In case a student is out of school for a period of more than ten consecutive days for reasons other than the disabling sickness of himself or a member of this immediate family, he shall be ineligible for the remainder of the semester.
All assemblies are considered part of the regular school day. Students are expected to attend assemblies, arrive on time, and sit with their assigned classes. Students who have attended other regularly scheduled classes during the day but fail to attend the assembly will be considered truant and receive an unexcused absence for that class period. Parents and visitors may attend all school assemblies after checking in with the receptionist in the Administration office.
A student, whether an adult or not, is privileged with eligibility for interscholastic competition only at the school district in which his/her parents or legal guardians are domiciled. In multi-school districts the student is eligible only at the school in the attendance zone in which his/her parents or legal guardians are domiciled.
Only parents or legal guardians are allowed to request that students be given permission to leave campus during the school day. An off-campus pass is provided for students who are in attendance and whose parents wish to have them released part of the school day. We ask that you send a note with the student before school starts on the morning that the student is to leave the campus, or you may contact the Attendance Office in advance of the time the student is to leave. We will then issue an off-campus pass and the student will be permitted to leave class at the appointed time. Failure to follow the procedure will result in an unexcused absence. This procedure allows for an efficient and non-disruptive exit from class.
Upon becoming ill at school, the student must report directly to class, get a pass from the teacher, and report to the nurse. If necessary, the nurse will send the student home after contacting the parents.
For any other emergency, the student must check out at the Attendance Office. Parents will be notified by the Attendance clerk before the student is released. Failure to follow the above procedure will result in an unexcused absence.
Under no circumstance should a student leave school without notifying the school's Nurse or the Attendance Office. To contact the Attendance Office, please call (480) 730-7659 to report an absence.
Excused Absence
Students will be allowed the number of days absent to make up assignments. Work that was assigned prior to an absence will be due upon return to class. The parent/guardian must send a note with the student on the day of return to school or must call in on the day of absence or within 24 hours of the absence.
Unexcused Absence
Students will be accountable for information missed. It is recommended that no credit be given.
Tardies: any student who is not in class by the last bell is tardy and must go directly to the Sweep room if they do not have a classroom pass. In order for a tardy student to obtain a pass to class, he or she is required to bring to the office a note signed by a parent or guardian. The note must be dated, include a phone number for verification, and explain the reason for the tardiness. Because the office can be a very hectic place in the morning, we ask parents/guardians to not phone in excuses for tardies as we may not be able to answer the call or retrieve the message before the student shows up at the office.
The sweep program was established to reinforce responsible life long habits. It allows classroom learning to begin promptly and to proceed without interruption. In addition, being on time is expected of all of us for the rest of our lives.
1.Any student who is not in class by the last bell is tardy. After the bell, any student who does not display a classroom pass while moving between classrooms will be swept.
2.All tardy students will go directly to the tardy sweep room. Students who arrive more than 10 minutes after the bell are absent.
3.Students who leave sweep, refuse to attend or do not obey sweep rules will receive disciplinary action.
4.A tardy student must have an administrative pass (from the office) to pass through campus and to enter a classroom. To be excused, a parent or guardian must phone or sign students in. Late bus passes, nurse passes or teacher passes will be accepted. No student may be excused from sweep after attending any class.
All visitors must check in with the receptionist in the Administration office to receive an official campus pass. Students should not have guests accompany or visit them during the school day. Preschool age children are not allowed.
Marcos de Niza policy prohibits deliveries of any kind, including phone messages, during the school day. Staff members at MdN follow this policy. Please DO NOT leave items or messages at the front desk to be delivered to students. Teachers and students in classes ask that paging a student during the school day be avoided unless there is an emergency. Pay phones are provided for student use.