Attendance
If absent, students must bring a note from a parent/guardian to the Attendance Office (Main Office) explaining the absence.  Students should NOT give the note to a teacher, dean, coach, bus driver, friend, or anyone else.  Upon returning to school, students have 3 days to turn in the note to the Attendance Office.

The note needs to include:

• the student’s first and last name, grade, and ID number
• date(s) of absence and reason for absence
• a parent/guardian signature and date of signature
• phone number for verification

 Once a student returns to school, he/she will be allowed one day per each day of absence to make up work.

EXCUSED ABSENCES

Absences are excused for personal illness, sickness or death in the family, quarantine, weather or road conditions making travel dangerous as publicized by HISD, participation in school activities with permission of the principal, juvenile court proceeding documented by a probation officer, pre-approved visit to another HISD school, HISD recognized religious hold days, and doctor or therapy appointments (a doctor’s note is required).  Any personal illness absence that lasts 3 or more days requires a doctor’s note to be considered excused. 

All other absences are unexcused.

COMMON UNEXCUSED ABSENCES

Car trouble, oversleeping, traffic, Metro bus issues, being out of town (vacations), and trips not sponsored by HISD/Pershing are all examples of unexcused absences.

TARDY POLICY

For a student to be considered on time to class, students must be in the classroom when the bell rings.  The tardy policy applies to every period. 

CONSEQUENCES FOR TARDIES

• 5 tardies = lunch time detention and the parent contacted by an administrator
• 10 tardies = after school detention and the parent contacted by an administrator
• 15 tardies = loss of privilege (removal from sports, dances, clubs, etc. for remainder of cycle) and parent contacted by an administrator
• 20 tardies = loss of privilege for the remainder of the semester and parent conference
• 25 tardies = loss of privilege for the remainder of the year and parent conference

Tardy sweeps will occur randomly.  Students caught in a tardy sweep will receive after school detention and their parents will be contacted by an administrator.

Rewards will be provided on a cycle basis as an incentive for those students who have no tardies in a single cycle.

OTHER LATE ARRIVALS

When HISD buses arrive late to Pershing, students should go to the Attendance Office to obtain an excused tardy pass to class.  Students arriving late on Metro buses or via car should go to the Attendance Office to obtain an unexcused tardy pass to class. 

Students arriving late from a doctor’s/dentist’s appointment must submit a medical note to the Attendance Office upon arrival to receive an excused pass to class.  If the student does not have a note, they will receive an unexcused tardy pass to class.

LEAVING SCHOOL EARLY

Students with an appointment must have their parent/guardian come to the Attendance Office to sign them out.  Please allow enough time for the Attendance Office staff member to get the student out of class.  We DO NOT release students without a parent/guardian signing them out with the Attendance Office.