Attendance & Excused Absences

Did you know that you can track attendance in real time using the Infinite Campus app?

See instructions in English, Spanish and Hmong.

2020-2021 ATTENDANCE UPDATE:

We want to be sure to emphasize that this year we ARE taking daily attendance during Virtual Learning.

October 23, 2020:

The district heard from families that the way attendance has been taken on Wednesdays has been more challenging than expected for both students and staff. As a part of the adjustments the district is making based on what they've learned, we will be shifting away from taking attendance for every course on Wednesdays, and instead we will take attendance based on communication with virtual mentors beginning October 28th.

Our core attendance principles will still apply:

Attendance will be taken every school day
Students will have until midnight to engage each school day
Wednesdays are asynchronous instructional days

Each Wednesday morning virtual mentors will share a simple Google Form with their students via email or Google Classroom. Students will need to fill out and submit the form.

The virtual mentor will look at the form responses Wednesday afternoon and mark absent any student who didn't yet respond. Phone calls will go out Wednesday evening to any absent students, reminding them they can still submit the form before midnight. Attendance will be updated Thursday. This process replaces teachers taking attendance for each class on Wednesdays.

If students have questions about this new process, they should contact their Virtual Mentor (listed in Period 10 of their schedule) by email for assistance.

Virtual Learning Attendance

On Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays:

Students will be marked absent if they do not do one of the following for EACH SCHEDULED CLASS:
• Attend the synchronous, or live, real-time instruction (in Zoom)
• Complete and submit an asynchronous, or independent learning task assigned by the teacher on the virtual learning platform
• Engage in two way communication (phone call, email exchange, or office hours virtual visit) with the teacher of
the course for each class

If students will miss a synchronous scheduled class, their absence should be reported/excused by a parent/guardian using the same procedure as they would during the normal school year (options listed below).

On Wednesdays:

Wednesdays are asynchronous instructional days. There are no live Zooms with teachers on Wednesdays.

Each Wednesday morning Virtual Mentors (listed in period 10 of the student's schedule) will share a simple Google Form with their students via email or Google Classroom. It will essentially ask students 1) if they are attending that Wednesday, 2) what mode of communication will be most likely to promote a successful connection during the coming week, and 3) what they are working on and supports that may be needed. Students will need to answer the questions and submit the form.

Concerns?

If a student is having technical difficulty accessing their class’s zoom link or Google classroom on any given day, they will want to email that class’s teacher as soon as possible.

MMSD Attendance During Virtual Learning

SCHEDULE INFORMATION

EXCUSED ABSENCES

Report An Excused Absence/Tardy Online

Use the MMSD Online Attendance Request Form to report a student absent.

Report An Excused Absence/Tardy By Emailing The Neighborhood Office Secretary

Students can be reported absent by emailing the student's Neighborhood Office Secretary. Please include the student's first and last name, ID #, the date and time of the absence, and the relationship to the student of the person reporting the absence.

Olbrich: Susan Harris

Tenny: Emily Nevel

Warner: Jessica Penning

Yahara: Emily Nevel

Report An Excused Absence/Tardy By Calling The School Office

Students can be reported absent by calling the Attendance Line or the student's Neighborhood Office. Please include the student's first and last name, ID #, the date and time of the absence, and the relationship to the student of the person reporting the absence.

Attendance Line: (608) 204-1650

Olbrich: (608) 204-1638

Tenny: (608) 204-1614

Warner: (608) 204-1613

Yahara: (608) 204-1614

Acceptable Reasons For Excused Absences/Tardies

Illness of student or immediate family member
Observance of a Religious Holiday
Bereavement due to death in the immediate family
A student’s dental, doctor, chiropractor, psychologist or other medical appointment that cannot be scheduled outside of the school day
Inclement weather
Serving as an elected official