Attendance on Activity and Game Days

Student participants must attend all scheduled classes on the day of an activity, tryout, or game unless school excused. When there are extenuating circumstances which make attendance impossible, absences may only be excused by an administrator. Truancies may cause the participant to miss the activity or game.

After School Hours

Students are expected to leave the school building and school grounds by 3:15 Monday — Friday unless they are working with a teacher, attending after school remediation or involved in a school sponsored activity.

Check Out

A parent or guardian may check their student out of school by one of the following methods:

Send a note to school with your student saying the time they need to be checked out. The guardian MUST SIGN the note and provide a contact number. Your student will bring this note to the Attendance office to check out. They are never allowed to just leave.
Come in person using your guardian DSD account to check your student out on the iPad in the vestibule and show your ID to the Attendance Office.
Students should never leave without following the checkout procedure.

Closed Campus

South Davis is a closed campus—students must remain on school grounds during school hours, including lunch time. Students may not check-out at lunchtime unless their guardian comes to the school to check them out. If this procedure is not followed, students will be considered truant, and a truancy citation will be issued.

Extended Absences

Students who are missing three or more days need to let their teachers know they will be gone. Parents, please inform the Attendance Secretary of the extended absence.

Hall Passes

Hall passes are only to be used one student at a time for emergencies at the teacher’s discretion. Students will use Hall Passes respectfully and responsibly by:

Returning to class in a reasonable amount of time (approx. 5 min).
Students should not have their phone or any other electronic device in the bathroom, any pictures or videoing in the bathroom could result in disciplinary actions
Demonstrate respect and responsibility while in the hall, restroom, office and other areas of the school.

We're excited to introduce a new hall pass system (Securly) designed to streamline the process of issuing passes and enhance overall school safety. This web-based tool will make it easier for us to keep accurate records of student whereabouts, allowing us to better provide support and services where needed. To use the system, students will simply ask their teacher for permission, create a pass online indicating their current location and destination, and wait for the teacher's approval. This efficient and supportive process ensures that students are always accounted for, helping us maintain a safe and focused learning environment.

Late Arrivals

If at any time a student arrives late, they must check in to school with the Attendance Secretary. All late arrivals will be considered tardy. If a student misses more than 30 minutes of class time, the tardy will be marked as an absence.

Medication, Sick Bed, and Ice Packs

The school cannot give medication for any reason. However, we can store prescriptions that students may use in the office with written permission from parents. Students will be allowed to check-in to the sick bed for twenty minutes if they are not feeling well. If the student is unable to return to class after twenty minutes, parents will be called to come check the student out and take them home.

Released Time Policy

Utah law permits “The release of students during school hours for attendance at religious classes taught on private property, but not on public school premises.” When students are released, they should attend the religious instruction and not on school property or at some other location in the community. Students at “some other location” in the community are considered to be truant. Released-time students must be off of school property by the time the tardy bell rings, and they may not re-enter school property until the dismissal bell rings. Students who are on school property during that released time are considered to be trespassing.

Reporting Absences

Absences can be excused by the following:

Call 801-402-6406. This line is open 24 hours a day.
Responding to the automated attendance email
by excusing the absence on your myDSD account within 3 days of absence.
emailing sdjhattendance@dsdmail.net

When students are absent, a parent or guardian should call the school on the day of the absence. All absences must be cleared within one week, or they will automatically be recorded as unexcused and may be considered truancies. - No absences will be cleared after 7 days.

Tardiness

Tardiness is disruptive to the orderly running of a school. Students may be considered tardy if they are not prepared for class and in their seats before the tardy bell. Students who are excessively tardy will receive reduced citizenship grades and will be subject to school discipline.

1 tardy: Verbal warning.
2 tardies: Verbal warning. Warning of "N" on next tardy.
3 tardies: One-on-one conversation with teacher to create plan of prevention/restorative practice. "N" notification. Warning of "U" on the next tardy. Email/phone call home to parent/guardian with plan and "N" notification.
4 tardies: One-on-one conversation with teacher to review previous plan and how it can be adjusted. "U" notification. Email/phone call home to parent/guardian with plan adjustments and "U" notification and how student can make up "U" with teacher.
5 tardies: Send student to main office for administrative conversation (can be immediate or within class period). Admin phone call home to parent/guardian. 1 lunch detention.
6+ tardies: Send student to main office for administrative conversation (can be immediate or within class period). Admin phone call home to parent/guardian. 2 lunch detentions.

Truancy Procedures and Fine Schedule

A student is considered truant when they are absent from school without a legitimate or valid excuse. An “habitual truant” is a school-aged minor who: is at least 12 years old; is subject to the state compulsory education law; and is truant at least ten times during one school year; and fails to cooperate with school authorities to resolve the attendance problem. Code 53G-6 -202

1st Occurrence: Administrative conference and policy review with student. Parent contacted by Attendance Secretary Warning Truancy
2nd Occurrence: Administrative conference with student. Parent contacted. $10.00 Truancy Citation.
3rd Occurrence: Administrative conference with student and parents. $15.00 Truancy Citation.
4th Occurrence: Parent contacted. $20.00 Truancy Citation. The student referred to Local Case Management.
5th+ Occurrence: Parent contacted. $25.00 each truancy citation issued. CCP (contact, consult, and plan) with Student Services to determine next steps.

South Davis Junior High