Tardy To School

Alcuin School considers the prompt arrival of students to school each morning to be critically important.  Families are asked to plan their mornings accordingly, so that they can comply with arrival times and thereby allow for a smooth start within each classroom.  When younger children arrive late, it violates their sense of order, of what is right and what is expected and of how things are supposed to be.  For the older child, there is a sense of embarrassment and disorientation.  Late arrivals also disrupt the classroom community, the work of other children and the guide/faculty member.  Parents should help their children arrive on time out of respect for the classroom community.  

At the start of the school day, Toddler through Upper Elementary students are to be in class by 8:15 a.m.; Middle School students are expected to be in class by 8:00 a.m.; Upper School students are to be in class by 9:00 a.m.   Anyone who arrives in their classroom after this arrival time will be considered tardy. 

Students who are tardy must be accompanied by a parent to the office to sign him/her in.  Parents must not send their child to the office unescorted.  After the parent signs in the child, he/she will receive a pink tardy slip. 

• Tardy Primary through Upper Elementary students are to then report directly to their classroom, handing the tardy slip to their guide.
• Middle School through Upper School students are to then report to class, handing their tardy slip to their appropriate faculty member.

For those students who drive themselves to school, a note from the parents stating the reason for being late must be presented to the Front Office upon signing in. 

Excused tardies require a signed doctor’s/dentist’s note with date and time of appointment, to be handed to the School Receptionist when they sign in.

Consequences for excessive tardies – Alcuin School is committed to the successful start of each school day and the training of students in the proper way to manage their schedules. Division Heads may notify families when a student has five unexcused tardies or 10 total tardies.  Persistent problems throughout the school year result in negative statistics for the child’s permanent record which are requested by subsequent schools, and so we encourage each family’s cooperation.   Chronic tardies may result in the student not being allowed to re-enroll for the next school year. 

Signed Notes - Parents should send an email or a signed note by the start of the school day to notify the classroom guide/faculty member for the following reasons. 

• If the child is to go home early or in a carpool other than his own.
• If the child should not go outside during free play or for Physical Education.

Middle School parents must send an email to the Head of Middle School and their advisor if a student needs to leave school early or is going home with someone else.

Upper School parents must send an email to the Head of Upper School if a student needs to leave school early or is going home with someone else.  Upper School parents and students should reference Upper School Attendance (Appendix II) for further information on tardies.