Attendance and Punctuality

Academic success is directly correlated with attendance and participation in class. Students are expected to attend all classes and School activities such as Assembly, Mentor Group, House meetings, etc. Punctuality shows respect for peers, faculty and School and personal responsibility for one’s own learning. Students should strive to be on time for classes and all other School co-curricular activities.

Regular classroom attendance is a basic expectation of the School. The daily learning that goes on in the classroom is fundamental to a student’s success in achieving not only the marks required for university admission, but also, and more importantly, the mastery of the skills and understanding necessary to succeed in university once admission has been gained.

In addition, at a school like Crescent where classes are small and meaningful relationships develop among students and with teachers, each student has a responsibility to the intellectual community of the classroom; the education of the group is, to a large degree, dependent on the regular participation of all members. Unnecessary absence tears at the fabric of that community and impedes the academic growth of all.

Attendance in the Upper School is monitored by the Assistant Heads of Upper School. Attendance is taken in each class. All students are expected to arrive on time and attend all scheduled classes. If parents know that their son will be absent for illness, appointment or family business, they must contact the Attendance Office. When reporting absences, please state the student’s name, grade and the date(s)/time(s) he will be missing school.

Parents in the Upper School must notify the Attendance Office at usattendance@crescentschool.org.

Parents can also reach the Attendance Office by telephone at (416) 449-2556, ext. 300. Parents will be prompted to choose (3) for Upper School. If you have students in multiple divisions, you need only leave one message.

If the School has not been notified in advance, on returning from an absence, whether as a result of illness or other reasons, the student is expected to bring an explanatory note/have an email sent from a parent or guardian. It is the responsibility of each student to catch up on missed work and to prepare for assignments and tests. If a student misses more than five consecutive days of school, or a test or major assignment, the School may ask for a signed note from a doctor.

Any student who misses a class without a valid reason provided by a parent or legal guardian will be subject to a progressive disciplinary approach which may result in further disciplinary action as determined by the Assistant Heads of Upper School.

There may be legitimate reasons for missing a class: illness, field trips, important appointments and School commitments like early dismissal for games and other co-curricular programs. However, it is important to remember that any student’s learning will be affected by missing instructional time. We are especially concerned when this happens without a satisfactory explanation.

Individual students who know that they will miss class time are expected to consult with their teachers in advance. They are responsible for all work missed.

The number of classes missed for any reason is recorded and communicated on each report. In doing so, we are simply drawing the attention of the student and his family to the situation as it is. We are not intending to discourage students’ participation in co-curricular activities unless such participation has become more than the student can manage academically.

The School views unexcused absences (“skipping”) as a serious offence. If a student has skipped a class, the teacher will discuss the situation with him and with his parents and Mentor.

Barring exceptional circumstances, a student who cannot provide a satisfactory explanation for an absence will not be allowed to make up any test or evaluation activity missed and will receive a mark of zero.

If the efforts of the teacher and Mentor are of no avail, the matter is referred to the Head of School for appropriate action. In some circumstances, a student’s volume of missed classes may be so high as to prevent granting him a credit.

List of 2 items.

Late Arrival to Class
Upper School faculty report lates through our attendance system. To validate legitimate lateness (e.g. medical/dental appointments), a parent or guardian should notify the Attendance Office in advance at usattendance@crescentschool.org or by phone at (416)449-2556 ext. 300 (press ‘3’) with an explanation.

Student punctuality is an example of one’s “performance character” and thus is closely monitored by the School. A pattern of lateness without valid explanation will result in a progressive disciplinary model. Such examples include:
- Concerned inquiry meeting with Mentor
- Formal meeting with Assistant Head of Upper School
- Detention, plus formal meeting with parent(s) and Head of Upper School
- One day in-school suspension
- One day out-of-school suspension, plus parent(s) meeting with Head of School/designate
- Probation, review of program/status at School, plus additional consequences at the discretion of the Head of School
Early Dismissal from Class

If a student needs to leave early, he must sign out at the Attendance Office. A parent or guardian must provide advance notice to the Attendance Office at usattendance@crescentschool.org or (416) 449-2556 ext. 300 (press ‘3’) with an explanation to excuse any missed class time.