Date: April 9, 2026

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Field trips and special events are a vital part of our educational program, providing our students with enriching, hands-on experiences outside the traditional classroom. We always appreciate the enthusiasm and support from our families who volunteer and attend these events.

I am writing to clarify our school's attendance policy regarding missed instructional time, particularly how it applies to early checkouts following these special events.

As a general baseline for our campus, please be aware that whenever a student misses more than 30 minutes of the school day—whether arriving late, leaving during the day, or checking out early—it is recorded as a "delinquent tardy" on their attendance record. On attendance letters, delinquent tardies are noted as:

“TDY TRUANT” 

We are bringing this to your attention because we have noticed an increasing trend of parents choosing to check their children out directly from a venue once a partial-day field trip concludes, rather than having them return to campus with their class. Because checking out from an event almost always results in a student missing more than 30 minutes of the remaining school day, these early field trip checkouts will be counted as delinquent tardies.

Why is this policy in place?  Even though a field trip or event may have ended, the school day has not. Our teachers meticulously plan valuable instructional time for the remainder of the day once students return to campus. When a student is checked out early, they are missing out on essential learning, classroom assignments, and peer collaboration.

We understand that it can seem convenient to head home directly from an off-campus venue; however, consistent attendance is crucial to your child's academic success. State and district attendance laws require us to accurately track all missed instructional time.

Moving Forward:

• General Attendance: Please strive to schedule non-emergency appointments outside of school hours to avoid your student missing more than 30 minutes of the day.

• Field Trips: We strongly encourage all students to ride the bus (or walk with their class) back to school to finish out their instructional day after an event.

• Emergencies: If you have an unavoidable medical appointment or family emergency that requires you to check your student out early, please communicate with the front office in advance so we can document the absence appropriately.

Thank you for your understanding, cooperation, and continued partnership in prioritizing our students' education. If you have any questions regarding this policy, please do not hesitate to contact the main office.

Sincerely,

Catherine Williams - OES Principal