Attendance

If you know your student is going to be tardy or absent, you must call the attendance line to notify Patterson International:

Attendane line: 303-982-8466

• The attendance line is available 24 hours a day.
• Use the attendance hotline or the electronic attendance form to notify the school if your child is sick or will otherwise be absent.

The State of Colorado has passed a new law requiring all schools to develop a plan to address students who are habitually truant (absent from school). This is what the Jeffco Student and Family Handbook (formerly known as the Code of Conduct) asserts about habitual absences:

Absences have a negative effect upon instruction continuity, regardless of attempts to make up the work. The district believes duplication of the classroom experience can never be accomplished with after-school assignments. The school cannot teach students who are not present. The regular contact of students with one another in the classroom and their participation in a well-planned instructional activity under the tutelage of a competent teacher are vital to this purpose. (Jeffco Public Schools Conduct Code and related policies p. 37)

Please help your student to understand the importance of regular school attendance and being on time. It is the family’s responsibility to ensure their student attends school and to notify the school when their student is absent for a legitimate reason, such as an illness or family emergency.

Please plan to arrive by 7:35 a.m. to avoid being tardy. Students need to be in their classroom, in their seats by the 7:45 a.m. bell. If your student is late, you will need to walk them into the school and sign in at the office.

To provide for the safety of students, parents need to report the tardiness or unexpected absence before or by 8:30 a.m. of that day.

An Attendance Plan may be established for the following situations:

• Students with four unexcused absences in a month
• 10 unexcused absences in a year
• Attendance Plans:
  • This plan will be written with input from the student, the parent and a school official.
  • The plan is designed to improve student attendance before a court hearing is mandated.

For absences to be excused, they must be called in before or by 8:30 a.m. on the day of the absence. 

Absences will be excused for the following situations:

• Illness
• Family emergencies
• Legal obligations
• Religious observations

Documentation might be required to verify an appropriate absence:

• Documentation may consist of receipts, doctor verification, a letter from your employer, etc.
• An excused absence may be deemed unexcused without proper documentation. 
  • See pg. 27-28 in the Jeffco 2023-24 Student and Family Handbook (formerly known as the Code of Conduct) for further information.

• To view attendance information online in your preferred language, visit the webpage for the downloadable  Student and Family Handbook.

Family vacation or business of three or more consecutive days needs prior approval. Parents or guardians must pick up a Pre-arranged Absence form from the office.

For the absence to be excused, the student must meet the following criteria:

1. Be in good academic standing
2. Has no unexcused absences
3. Has four or fewer excused absences in a semester
4. Has seven or fewer absences in a school year

• Refer to the Jeffco Student Family Handbook for information on absences not covered by the grounds for excused absences.
• Visit the Student and Family Handbook webpage to access a downloadable version in the language of your choice.

The importance of regular, daily school attendance as a basis for academic achievement cannot be overemphasized. Attendance is a shared responsibility of the student, the families and the school.

It is the family’s responsibility to ensure their student attends school and to notify the school when their student is absent for a legitimate reason, such as an illness or family emergency. Each family should also ensure their student’s school has their correct contact information so that the school is able to communicate about any attendance issues that may arise.