We have made it through week 3. We were closed on Tuesday and Wednesday for the storm. Thursday and Friday saw us back in the swing of things.

New website has gone live!

Please take a moment and check out our website www.agapesarasota.org. It has a better flow and is mobile friendly. My hope is to publish the monthly calendars on it and to keep you posted on upcoming events. Soon we will receive training on putting information on the site.

Attendance Policy Please Review.

Attendance Policy

School attendance is the responsibility of the parent and the student. There is a strong relationship between attendance and academic performance. Students who will be six years old by February 1 of any school year, or who are older than six but have not attained the age of 16, are expected to attend school every school day of the 180-day school year. A student who attains the age of 16 during the school year is not subject to compulsory school beyond the date upon which he or she attains that age, if the student files a formal Declaration of Intent to Terminate School Enrollment. The declaration must be signed by the student and his or her guardian. An exit interview and a survey completed by the student is a part of the withdrawal process.

Florida Statute 1003.24 states that the parent/legal guardian of a child of compulsory age is responsible for the child’s daily school attendance. School staff, parents, students, and state agencies are expected to work together to ensure that all applicable school attendance laws are obeyed, including but not limited to referral to the state-designated agency for possible court action for truancy.

All absences are considered unexcused until the school receives written explanation from the parent/guardian within three days of the absence. The principal or designee has the authority to determine whether an absence is excused. Excessive excused absences for illness may result in the student being required to provide a doctor’s note or other substantiating evidence.

Attendance is reported on progress notes and on quarterly report cards. To be considered present for the day, a student must be in attendance for at least 200 minutes, which is the equivalent of half the school day:

Students have a RIGHT to:

• Information defining rules for absences, tardiness, withdrawal, and makeup assignments.
• Appeal a decision about an absence.
• Make up all work missed during an out-of-school suspension or an unexcused absence.

Students have a RESPONSIBILITY to:

• Attend classes daily and be on time.
• Provide notification from parent when absent.
• Request make-up assignments from teachers upon their return to school after an absence and to complete this work within a reasonable length of time, as specified in school attendance procedures and the Student Progression Plan.

Excused absences include:

• Student illness (if documented by parent or medical doctor).
• Medical appointment with documentation.
• Death in the family.
• Subpoena by law enforcement agency or mandatory court appearance.
• Other individual student absences beyond the control of the parent or student, as determined and approved by the principal or principal’s designee.
• Pre-arranged absence with administrative approval.

Absence Reports

• Absences should be reported in accordance with school policy and followed by written note.
• The report must come from a parent and give the date(s) of the absence and the reason for it.
• Parents must report these absences within three days following the absences, although the principal may make exceptions in cases of need.
• Parents may be asked to provide a written medical excuse when excused absences for illness are excessive.

Excused Absences Rights and Responsibilities

Upon returning to school, the student is responsible for making up work missed on that day, in our PACE curriculum that would be five pages per subject. If there are multiple days that a student is out, please make arrangements with the student’s teacher for making up missed PACE work.

Unexcused Absences

• All absences, which have not been specifically identified as excused, are unexcused absences.
• A student who has 15 unexcused absences within 90 calendar days is a habitual truant under state law. The student may be dealt with as a child in need of services under Chapter 984, Florida Statutes. In addition, the parent/guardian may be subject to criminal prosecution under Chapter 1003.27, Florida Statutes.

Family vacations are not excused absences. They must be prearranged through the principal and may not necessarily count as an excused absence.

Driver’s License Law

Students between the ages of 14 to 18 years of age who drop out of school prior to graduation or who have excessive unexcused absences (15 in a 90-day period) will be reported to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV). To maintain driving privileges, attendance will be monitored. Students who hold a Florida driver’s license will have their license suspended if they do not meet these standards. Students who have not yet received their driver’s license will find they are unable to obtain a license if they do not meet these standards. Application for reinstatement of the driving privilege can be made after the student has logged thirty (30) consecutive days of attendance with no unexcused absences. There is a hardship appeal process; a student must contact the principal for information regarding this appeal.

There are attendance requirements for minors (ages 14-18) to maintain their driving privileges.

School Holiday on September 4, 2023.

School will be closed on September 4th for Labor Day.

Labor Day is our country’s most explicit way of recognizing the contributions of workers in this country and the history of labor in the U.S.

Progress Reports on September 11, 2023

Mid way through the quarter, we send home progress reports. This is a time to see how your child/children are doing. In PACES, your child should have at minimum one PACE completed in each subject. In Teaching Textbooks, by the 8th they should be on lesson 18. In Ignitia, they should be almost done with Module 1. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact your child’s teacher.

Picture Day

Picture Day is September 25 at 8:30am. Retakes will be October 9. Students do not need to wear their school uniforms on that day. They still need to be following dress code for Fridays.

Our photographer will send home an envelope that has three different packages available. You choose which one and return the envelope with the money. She usually gives me the pictures after the session within a week. I will let you know I have them and you can come in and choose which picture you like. Or I can choose for you.

New Date: Tuesday, October 3, starting at 4pm Blaze Pizza Fundraiser

The fundraiser with Blaze Pizza will be on October 3, 2023. It will start at 4pm and last until 8pm. I will hand out flyers closer to the date. We will be using the funds for art supplies.

When?
Tuesday, October 3 2023, 04:00 PM

Where?
215 North Cattlemen Road, Sarasota, FL, USA

Thank you for reading. Please connect with me.

Cindy Showalter
Principal