Revised: October 15, 2026

1.0 Attendance will be taken by each secondary classroom teacher upon entry to class. Attendance will be taken by elementary teachers upon entry to class in both the morning and afternoon.  The verification of student presence (K-Gr.8) must also occur after key physical transition points during the school day.

2.0 The names of those absent will be entered online or sent to the office within ten minutes of the start of classes.

3.0 Parents, guardians and caregivers have the responsibility to telephone or contact by other means (i.e. email, text) their child’s school on a timely basis (9:00 a.m.) about any absence or lateness.

4.0 Parents, guardians and caregivers have the responsibility to provide accessible home telephone numbers, cell phone numbers, with complete and current emergency information to the school. The parent/guardian is responsible for updating contact information with the school office as changes occur.

5.0 The list of those students reported absent by their parents will be reconciled against the attendance record as entered online or sent to the office by staff.

6.0 When regular attendance taking shows that a student is absent and their parents, guardians, and caregivers have not contacted the school, the parents, guardians, and caregivers will then be contacted to report the absence and confirm that the child is safe.  A daily record on the times of call home will be maintained.

7.0 The parents, guardians and caregivers of absent children should be called in order of younger children to older children.

8.0 Every reasonable effort will be made by the school administration to contact the parent, guardian, or caregiver by calling all home, work or emergency telephone numbers.

9.0 Once the school secretary has verified the student’s location, they will record the reason for the student’s absence in the Student Information System.

10.0 On inclement weather (i.e., bus cancellation) days, the following procedure will be followed:

• Safe arrival phone calls will be made for all Kindergarten to Grade 3 students and all students in a high support program, regardless of age or grade.
• Safe arrival phone calls will be made for Grade 4 to 12 students who do not have Appendix A: Consent to Not Call Home on Inclement Weather Days.

11.0 Student Attendance Confirmation During the School Day

11.1 The verification of student presence (K-Gr.8) must occur after key physical  transition point during the school day.

11.2 Student attendance must be taken with dates and time recorded.

• At the beginning of each instructional period.
• Upon returning from recess, lunch, and nutrition breaks.

Immediately after the movement of students between locations, including but not limited to:

• Outdoor activities on and off school property, including field trips.
• School assemblies and other school events during the school day.
• Movement between classes on a rotary schedule, including transitions between portables and the school building.

11.3 If there is any discrepancy that exists concerning a student’s whereabouts, the  Principal or Designate must be notified immediately after discovering the  discrepancy.

11.4 Method of Tracking:

• The DSB1 Attendance Monitoring Tracking Sheet (Appendix B) shall be used.
• One DSB1 Attendance Monitoring Tracking Sheet will be used for each class daily.
• The DSB1 Attendance Monitoring Tracking Sheet will follow the class for the day.
• Attendance tracking sheets are to be submitted to the office at the end of each week.

12.0 Protocol for Missing or Unaccounted For Students

• Re-confirm attendance and whereabouts

The staff member responsible for the student will re-confirm the attendance  record and determine whether the student has been relocated, signed out, participating in another program, or otherwise accounted for.

• Notify the Principal/Designate and School Office

 Any discrepancy that cannot be immediately accounted for must be reported to  the Principal/Designate and school office without delay.

• Initiate an Immediate Search

 As appropriate to the circumstances, staff will search the school, school grounds,  and other relevant locations while maintaining appropriate supervision of other  students.

• Use School Communication Systems  
  Paging, radio, telephone or other communication systems may be used to alert appropriate staff and attempt to locate the student.
• Contact Police/Emergency Services When Warranted – Assess Level of Risk  
  Where there is an immediate concern for the student's safety or well-being, police/emergency services will be contacted immediately. In other circumstances, the Principal/Designate will consider a number of factors in determining when to contact police/emergency services including:

• Special education needs;
• Age;
• Known vulnerabilities;
• Circumstances surrounding their disappearance;
• Location and environmental conditions;
• Length of time the student has been missing, and;
• Any information available about where they may have gone.

There is no required waiting period before contacting police or emergency services.

• Notify the Parent/Guardian/Caregiver  
  The parent/guardian/caregiver will be contacted as soon as reasonably possible, unless doing so could place the student at greater risk or is otherwise inappropriate given the circumstances.
• Document the Response  
  The school will document the circumstances, actions taken, notifications made and outcome of the incident.

Appendices

Appendix A: Consent to Not Call Home on Inclement Weather Days

Appendix B:  DSB1 Student Attendance Monitoring Tracking Sheet