Attendance & School Hours

School attendance is the responsibility of the parent and the student. There is a strong relationship between attendance and academic performance. Florida Statute §1003.24 states that the parent/legal guardian of a child of compulsory age is responsible for the child’s daily school attendance. School staff, parents, students and state agencies are expected to work together to ensure that all applicable school attendance laws are obeyed, including but not limited to referral to the state designated agency for possible court action for truancy.

All absences are considered unexcused until the school receives written explanation from the parent/guardian within three days of the absence. The Head of School or designee has the authority to determine whether or not an absence is excused. Excessive excused absences for illness may result in the student being required to provide a doctor’s note or other substantiating medical evidence.

Students have a RIGHT to:

Information defining rules for absences, tardiness, withdrawal and make-up assignments.
Transportation within the student’s school zone, but outside the two-mile limit from school.
Appeal a decision about an absence.
Make up all work missed during an out-of-school suspension or an unexcused absence, including tests and quizzes.

Students have a RESPONSIBILITY to:

Attend classes daily and be on time.
Provide notification from a parent/guardian when absent.
Abide by school bus rules and regulations.
Request make-up assignments from teachers upon their return to school after an absence and to complete this work within a reasonable length of time, as specified in school and district attendance procedures and the Student Progression Plan.

EXCUSED ABSENCES

Student illness (if documented by parent/guardian or medical doctor)
Observance of a religious holiday or service that is recognized as such by members of the student’s faith
Medical appointment with documentation
Death in the family
Subpoena by law enforcement agency or mandatory court appearance
Other individual student absences beyond the control of the parent or student, as determined and approved by the Head of School or designee
Therapeutic services appointment (i.e. speech, occupational, physical, behavioral therapy)
Students will be afforded the opportunity to make up work for an excused absence.
Students have the responsibility to turn in work on time that was assigned while on field trips or school-sponsored activities unless they have made prior arrangements with the teacher.

ABSENCE REPORTS

Absences should be reported in accordance with school policy, documented by a written note, and submitted within three days following the absences. The Head of School may make exceptions in cases of need.
The report must come from a parent/guardian or a physician and give the date(s) of the absence and the reason for it.
Parents may be asked to provide written medical documentation when excused absences for illness are excessive. Over 9 absences for illness per semester or 18 for illness in a school year is considered excessive.
A student who has 15 unexcused absences within 90 calendar days is a habitual truant under state law. The student may be dealt with as a child in need of services under §984, F.S. In addition, the parent/guardian may be subject to criminal prosecution under §1003.24, F.S.
Students will be afforded an opportunity to make up work for an unexcused absence. There may be some academic penalty in accordance with attendance policies and procedures.
When students are late to school or leave school early without an adequate excuse, the tardy or early dismissal will be unexcused.
Family vacations are not automatically excused absences and are at the discretion of the Head of school or designee. Parents are encouraged to contact the school prior to family vacations.

ARRIVAL (TARDINESS)

Tardiness is disruptive to the learning environment and has a negative impact on student achievement.
Tardiness without a reasonable excuse will be documented in the attendance record.
For student safety, parents should ensure that their children do not arrive at school until appropriate supervision is available on campus.

ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL PROCESS

Morning Schedule:

7:00 am – Before Care Program begins and breakfast provided
7:30 am – School opens for all students and students report to the cafeteria for breakfast
7:45am – Students go to homeroom and start morning routine
8:00 am – Instructional day begins and morning announcements
➢ NOTE: All students arriving to their classroom after 8:00 am are considered late and must be signed in by an adult in the Main Office.

Afternoon Schedule:

1:30 pm – Students with an early dismissal must be picked up from the Main Office by this time. *Otherwise, families will follow dismissal protocols.
2:45 pm – End of school day; Car Rider and Bus Rider dismissal begins
3:00 pm – Dismissal completed. After School Program Begins
5:30 pm – After School Program ends

CAR RIDER DISMISSAL PROCEDURES

Parents MUST display an approved Car Rider hang-tag in their car’s rear-view mirror / dashboard for student(s) to be dismissed in the order the car enters the school.
Access to the parking lot for dismissal will start at 2:25 pm.
The Car Rider hang-tags will not be read before 2:30 pm.
If a parent / guardian does not have the Car Rider hang-tag, the student(s) assigned to that tag will not be dismissed in the order the car entered the school. Park your vehicle and wait patiently to be confirmed by admin
If the car rider line is long and there is traffic, park your vehicle and wait patiently to get back in the car rider line again.
Walk-ins will be last in the dismissal process.

*Always bring your ID.
*Update the family portal with your emergency contacts and who can pick up the student.
*Visitors are not permitted to enter the school during dismissal time unless approved by the Head of School or designee.
*No pets are allowed on school premises (outside of vehicle).

EARLY DISMISSAL / LATE FOR SCHOOL

At Dreamers Academy, we believe that coming to school on time and remaining in school for a full day is imperative for a successful educational career. Every effort should be made to assure that students arrive at school on-time and stay in school until dismissal (7:45 am-2:45 pm).

Early departures without a reasonable excuse will be documented in the attendance record.
Parent/Guardian with whom the student resides must inform the school in writing if an early dismissal is to occur.
For early dismissals, the Main Office must be notified before 1:30 pm. This notification should include your child’s name, the time your child will be picked up, reason for early dismissal, and the name of the person who will be picking up your child. Written notification with a parent/guardian signature is required if someone other than an authorized contact is picking up the child.
After 1:30 pm students are expected to be dismissed as a car or bus rider.

Instructional time is lost when a student misses any portion of the academic day. When a student accumulates any combination of 3 or more unexcused late arrivals and/or unexcused early dismissals, parents/guardians will be notified to address the matter. Administration will review their attendance records for compliance with school policy. Consequences for excessive unexcused tardies/early dismissals will be at the discretion of the Head of School or designee.