Student/Family Handbook

Expectations

Students are expected to attend online classes on time each day and to attend all classes in their entirety. If your child is absent for ten consecutive school days or absent intermittently 15 days, they will be transferred to their neighborhood school.

Definitions

• Excused Absence shall mean a student who is temporarily ill or injured or whose absence is approved by the school administrator.
• Unexcused Absence shall mean a student who is not temporarily ill or injured, is absent without a valid and verifiable reason, whose absence is not approved by the school administrator.
• Tardy shall mean a student who arrives after the instructional period begins. This will apply to a student who leaves prior to the completion of the instructional period as well for the sake of district practice. A tardy is excused for temporary illness or injury.
• Proof of Documentation refers to a doctor’s note specifying the specific dates a student is absent from school, not simply the date the student was seen by the doctor.

The following procedures are in place for monitoring student absences.

If a student has:

• One (1) -Three (3) consecutive days of being absent, phone calls from the office will be made unless the absence is reported. Parents may provide documentation for absence to be notated as excused.
• If a student has five (5) or more unexcused absences in the school year, the school will schedule a meeting with the parent and the student to develop an action plan to improve the student’s attendance. Student Support Team (SST) will provide Attendance Contract I, update and review the case.
• If a student is absent for eight (8) or more days in a semester, a letter is sent home by the administration notifying parents of the number of absences. Meeting with the Student Support Team, Truancy Document is developed, parent and the student to review Attendance Policy, Implement Attendance Contract II, develop an attendance plan to support regular school attendance, and the school will consider possible retention in the current grade.
• When a student reaches ten (10) or more unexcused absences, they are considered chronically absent. Truancy recommendations are completed. School officials will complete a transfer to their neighborhood school.

The school utilizes multiple platforms to ensure parents, the community, and the school district are consistently provided with up-to-date, relevant information. Communication to and from families is expected to occur daily, weekly, monthly, or quarterly.

School Communication Tools

• District Email (staff required response time is 24 hours)
• Class Dojo (serves as our main communication tool for teacher-parent interactions)
• Zoom/Microsoft Teams Video Conferencing (parent-teacher conferences, live learning sessions, virtual meetings)
• Zoom/Microsoft Teams Live Events (Town Halls, Q&A Sessions, Parent University - completed monthly or quarterly)
• Video Recording within Microsoft Teams or Canvas (synchronous and asynchronous learning sessions)
• Canvas (announcements, discussion threads, scheduling, learning platform)
• Traditional Phone Calls (voicemails will be reviewed daily and a response will be rendered before the close of business each day)

 School and District Communication Tools

• Website (updated regularly to ensure pertinent district and school information is shared in a timely manner)
• YouTube (specific topics of interest or tutorials are shared)
• Facebook (updated regularly as needed to share pertinent information with families)
• Twitter
• Robo Calls (Infinite Campus - used before holidays, school events, emergency schedule changes, emergency notices, etc)

Student Cell Phones

• We understand that cell phones are an important part of family communication, however, they can be disruptive to learning. Students should not be on their cell phones during online classes at any time or when attending in-person learning pods. If there is a family emergency or a need that requires the student to use a cell phone during class, parents must communicate with their student's teacher prior to the start of a live class session. Cell phones must be turned off and remain in the student’s backpack while attending Aspire Online Academy’s satellite locations for in-person learning. 

Just like in-person learning, students are expected to come to class dressed appropriately. The following items are not acceptable in online class or when attending an in-person learning pod.

1. Shorts, dresses, skirts, or similar clothing shorter than mid-thigh length.
2. Pajamas or nightgowns.
3. Sunglasses and/or hats
4. Inappropriately sheer, tight, or low-cut clothing (e.g. midriffs, halter tops, backless clothing, tube tops, garments made of fishnet, mesh or similar material, muscle tops, etc.) that bare or expose traditionally private parts of the body.
5. Tank tops or other similar clothing with straps narrower than 1.5 inches in width.

Any clothing, paraphernalia, grooming, jewelry, hair coloring, accessories, or body adornments that are or contain any advertisement, symbols, words, slogans, patches, or pictures that:

1. Refer to drugs, tobacco, alcohol, or weapons
2. Are of a sexual nature.
3. By virtue of color, arrangement, trademark, or other attribute denote membership in gangs that advocate drug use, violence, or disruptive behavior.
4. Are obscene, profane, vulgar, lewd, or legally libelous.
5. Threaten the safety or welfare of any person
6. Promote any activity prohibited by the student code of conduct
7. Otherwise disrupt the teaching-learning process

The dress code requirements above are not all-inclusive; administrators may use their discretion. The administration reserves the right to determine what constitutes dress-code-appropriate clothing. Parents will be contacted when dress code violations occur.