Student Attendance
(Adapted from Policy 3150, available on DragonNet.)
HKIS believes that daily school attendance is critical if students are to receive the maximum benefits from the opportunities offered at the school for learning and growth. Absences, for any reason, are disruptive to the learning process and to the achievement of the student. Being on time for school and for class is also important for the individual student and the class as a whole. The absent or tardy student misses valuable interactive classroom experiences and immediate feedback from teachers and peers.
The school is committed to working with parents to ensure consistent attendance for all students. Parents should not permit students to miss school for reasons other than illness, family emergencies, or significant personal reasons, such as religious observances or external exams. Parents are also asked to respect the school’s calendar especially at parent conference times and not to take their child out of school for travel or vacations during regularly scheduled school days. If a student is absent for reasons other than illness, family emergencies or significant personal reasons, parents should note that the school does not require teachers to provide make-up work. Absences or non-attendance at concerts or other performances may also affect a student’s grade.
Any absence, tardy or early dismissal must be accounted for. Parents should notify the school early in the school day if their child will be absent due to illness, or as early as possible in advance for other absences. Parents may email msattendance@hkis.edu.hk and their child’s PCG teacher to notify the school of absences. Each principal will annually publish the official start and end of the school day, and will also outline the specific procedures for late arrival at school, early dismissal and divisional policies related to making up any work missed.
All students are expected to be on school grounds from the official start to the end of the school day. Permission for students to leave their school campus during school hours can only be granted by the Principal of the school or his/her designee.
Students are expected to be on time for school and for class. This expectation is essential both for students’ individual learning and for the class as a whole. Students must be in attendance for 85% of the school days within each semester. If attendance falls below 85%, parents will be contacted, and teachers may give the following semester report card grade: NA - Student was not present in class long enough to be graded or IE- Insufficient Evidence.
Absences
A pattern of late or missed assessments will lead to administrative contact with parents and a conference with one of the Associate Principals and/or Counselors.
Planned Absence
If a student needs to have time away from school to participate in a family engagement or other extracurricular activities the following process must be followed:
- Set up a meeting with one of the Associate Principals via the Student Support Secretary to plan for this absence and gain approval for this absence.
- If permission is granted, a planned absence form must be submitted and the student must communicate with the teacher prior to the absence.
- The student must make up relevant assignments upon return to school.
Illness Absence
Parents should email msattendance@hkis.edu.hk to notify the school of absences as soon as possible. Students must follow up with their teachers upon return to school to complete any relevant assignments.
Late Arrival to School/Leaving Early
Parents must email msattendance@hkis.edu.hk to notify the school of late arrival at school/leaving early in advance.
Students arriving late should check in at the Student Services Center and obtain a pass.
Students leaving early should report to the Student Services Center at their dismissal time to check out and obtain a gate pass to give to the security guards.
Student Visitors
Students who wish to bring a student visitor will be asked to complete the Student Visitors to the Middle School form at least one week prior to a visit. The form will then be reviewed by the child’s grade level counselor and a decision will be communicated to the student. The school reserves the right to limit the number of student visitors, and visits will not occur during the first two weeks of school and last two weeks of the school year.