As outlined in our school handbook, anything over four tardies in a trimester (12 total per year) is considered excessive. School begins promptly at 8 a.m. with a school assembly. Students are considered tardy if they arrive at their class line at assembly after 8 a.m. Students who arrive AFTER 8:20 a.m. need to be escorted by a parent/adult to receive a tardy slip. Tardies due to medical appointments are not counted in this total. This policy exists to ensure students and families understand the importance of punctuality and its impact on classroom learning and community.
Why Punctuality Matters
Timeliness is essential for students to make the most of their school day. The morning routines and opening activities set the tone for the day, often including important instruction, announcements, and group activities that foster community and prepare students for the lessons ahead. When a student is tardy:
- They Miss Critical Instruction: Late students may miss foundational explanations, instructions for the day’s activities, or warm-ups that build essential skills.
- It Disrupts the Classroom: Teachers must pause to help late students catch up, which diverts time from planned instruction or individual support.
- It Impacts Differentiation: Teachers design lessons to meet the varied needs and skills of all students. When time is spent reteaching missed material to tardy students, it limits the teacher’s ability to effectively differentiate instruction for the class.
Additionally, studies show that chronic tardiness is linked to lower academic performance and decreased engagement. Consistently being on time ensures that students are fully present, ready to learn, and equipped to build strong peer relationships.
Suggestions for Addressing Tardiness
We understand the morning rush can be challenging, and we want to work with you to establish a routine that supports your student’s success. Here are some suggestions to help:
- Prepare the Night Before: Set out clothes, pack backpacks, and prepare lunches to minimize morning stress.
- Create a Clear Schedule: Set wake-up and departure times, allowing extra time to handle any unexpected delays.
- Encourage a Restful Evening Routine: Ensure your student gets adequate sleep to help mornings run smoothly.
- Work Through Challenges Together: If there are specific obstacles, such as transportation issues or other concerns, please reach out so we can work collaboratively to address them.
Consequences for Excessive Tardiness
To emphasize the importance of punctuality, we have outlined consequences for excessive tardiness. Students with ongoing excessive tardies will be assigned detention and/or parents whose actions contribute to tardiness will be required to complete an additional parent hour per every four tardies incurred. These measures are intended to highlight the importance of arriving on time while fostering accountability and partnership.
We want to work with families struggling with tardiness. It is a fresh start! The Advent season is upon us and we spend most of December in preparation. Starting today, December 4, your student is starting at zero tardies even though we are well into the second trimester. (All tardies are still counted officially on report cards and progress reports but for this partnership we are starting today at zero) Families with students that have more than four tardies after December 4, 2024 will be notified to enter into the Tardy Resolution Checklist and Agreement below.
Let’s Partner Together
If there are underlying issues contributing to a student's tardiness, we are here to support you in resolving them. Together, we can help our students establish habits that promote success and ensure a smooth and productive start to each school day.
Thank you for your attention to this matter and for partnering with us to create the best learning environment for all students. If you’d like to discuss this further, please don’t hesitate to contact me via email.
In partnership,
Lana Rocheford
Lana Rocheford
Principal
Assumption School
SAMPLE TARDY RESOLUTION LETTER
Dear Parent of ____________________________,
We value your partnership in supporting your child’s success at Assumption School. To address the issue of excessive tardiness, we need to work together to find a solution that changes the behavior and ensures your student’s starts each day on the right foot.
Consequences for Excessive Tardiness
To emphasize the importance of punctuality, we have outlined the following consequences for excessive tardiness. These measures aim to highlight the significance of being on time while fostering accountability and collaboration:
- For Students: Students with ongoing tardiness will be assigned detention to reflect on the importance of punctuality.
AND/OR
- For Parents: Parents whose actions contribute to tardiness will be required to complete an additional principal-assigned parent hour as part of our commitment to fostering a strong school-family partnership.
We want to ensure everyone involved has a clear understanding of the expectations and solutions to improve this situation. Below is a checklist to help identify the appropriate consequence for your family and commit to a plan of action:
Tardy Resolution Checklist
Student’s Name: ___________________________ Grade: ___________
Please review and complete the following steps:
- Identify the Consequence for Excessive Tardiness
- ___My child will serve a detention to reflect on the importance of punctuality.
- ___I will complete an additional parent hour as a commitment to improving timeliness as assigned by the principal.
- ___This is a sibling issue and the sibling in Grade ____ will serve the detention to reflect the effect of his/her siblings' tardiness.
- Determine the Root Cause of Tardiness
- ___Mornings are rushed due to lack of preparation.
- ___Difficulty waking up on time.
- ___Transportation challenges.
- Other: ____________________________________________
- Create a Plan for Improvement
- ___Prepare school materials and clothes the night before.
- ___Set and follow a consistent morning routine with clear wake-up and departure times.
- ___Address transportation issues by arranging alternate plans (e.g., carpool, earlier departure).
- Other: ____________________________________________
- Commit to Improvement
- ___I will ensure my child is at school on time moving forward.
- ___I will communicate any challenges with the school to find additional solutions.
Parent/Guardian Signature:
Date:
Student Signature:
Date:
Thank you for taking the time to complete this checklist. Together, we can address this issue and ensure _________________________ starts each school day ready to learn and thrive. If you have questions or need support, please contact me directly via email.
Warm regards,
Lana Rocheford
Lana Rocheford
Principal
Assumption School