Hello. My mom and I are planning on going to Connecticut/Massachusetts for 4 days to tour Berkshire, Choate, Loomis Chaffee, and Hotchkiss. My dad will only let us go if I won’t get unexcused absences during these times. I remember when applying to Culver a few years ago they gave me a school note and my school considered it excuses but my new school is really strict on attendance and I’m worried that they’d consider it an unexcused absence. What should I do? Will the schools give me a note for missing school?
Our high school only allowed 3 days for college visits per year with a school note. The others were unexcused. Many kids called in sick on a Friday but to be exempt from finals could only have 3 excused absences. Meant more visits during breaks and planning in advance.
@momocarly We’d definitely try but this is during our fall break- we only get 1 day. Would a boarding school tour be considered a college visit?
@momocarly: The OP is applying to boarding schools for 11th grade and wants to know if the boarding schools s/he visits will provide excuse notes for the absence.
@CavsFan2003: I don’t know that boarding schools provide notes (pretty sure Choate doesn’t) but how would a parent signing a child out of school not be an excused absence? If a parent says they need to take their child out of school (for any reason and should not need to disclose why) on X days, who is the school to argue with that decision? Only your school can tell you how they will view this absence, so you should clarify with the school office or principal as no one here can give you that information.
@ChoatieMom Ask my school lol, their attendance policy is quite asinine. I missed 2 days of school for strep WITH A DOCTORS NOTE and was threatened with truancy court because I had gone over my days. I’d stay within my days of school missed for this semester, ig, and would just have to A. not get sick or B. get school notes
As an FYI, school policy does not supersede state law, and Indiana state law requires schools to excuse absences for illness. So my response to the school would have been “Good luck with that.”
So going back to the question. No, I don’t think that the boarding school would give you a note. But even if they did, your current school is not required to consider it an excused absence.
@skieurope It was definitely an empty threat, but I’m still scared of the attendance secretary lol
That’s okay, I just filled out a vacation form, since I’m only missing 2 days. It’s no biggie!
FYI… @ChoatieMom and @skieurope
I go to a Public HS. so might be a little different. But, we are only allowed ‘Excused’ absences for 1. Court appearances. 2. College visits. 3. School trips/tournaments/etc.
ANYTHING else–with a parent/doctor or not–is an unexcused absence. Accumulate a certain amount and there are major consequences. You might even auto-fail the school year.
Now, if you have a chronic illness or some sort of super extenuating circumstance, the board can vote to exempt you from that rule. But for the most part, there is no way around it.
@coppii Public School has nothing to do with it. You attend school in a different state that the OP. My advice above is correct for IN, which is the OP’s home state. State law in other states can (and in your case is) different.
@skieurope Ohh…I thought you were referring to your home state. I was not sure how anyone would have known the OP’s state–my bad.
OP mentioned it in another thread.