School Procedures

When a student is absent, a parent/guardian should call the school or are required to bring a note from the parent/guardian directly to the attendance office upon the student return to school.  All excusal notes must be submitted within 5 school days from the date of the returned from the absence.

Keep your student on track for graduation – pay attention to their attendance!  

Even as children grow older and more independent, families play a key role in making sure students access learning opportunities. Your support can help them to understand why attendance is so important for success in school and on the job.  At SLCSE Bryant, we value attendance and punctuality. Being at school and “on-time” to our classes is one way to build up our community and each other.  

 DID YOU KNOW?  

• Students should miss no more than 9 days of school each year to stay engaged, successful, and on track to graduation.  
• Frequent absences and tardiness can be a sign that a student is losing interest in school, struggling with schoolwork, dealing with a bully, or facing some other difficulty.  
• By 6th grade, absenteeism is one of three signs that a student may drop out of high school. 
• By 9th grade, attendance is a better predictor of graduation rates than 8th grade test scores. 
• Missing 10%, or 2 days a month, over the course of the school year, can affect a student’s academic success.  

WHAT IS OUR SCHOOL DOING?  

• Teachers are working to take attendance in a timely manner every day. Attendance data is used to make district-wide decisions about start/end times, bussing, and student well-being.
• Each teacher at SLCSE Bryant has an “On time is…” poster hanging in their classroom. This poster explains how to be on time for that specific space.  
• Students that are on time to class for a week-long period are invited to go to lunch early once a week.  
• Students that are late to classes will stay after the last bell to discuss the importance of being on time.  
• Teachers and staff will reach out to families of students that are consistently late and/or absent. We have additional supports to offer.  

 

WHAT CAN YOU DO?  

WHAT CAN YOU DO?  

Make attendance and punctuality a priority!

• Talk about the importance of showing up to school, on time, every day.  
• Help your teen maintain daily routines, such as finishing homework and getting a good night’s sleep. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends 8.5-9.5 hours of sleep every night for teens.
• Try not to schedule appointments during the school day. 
• Keep your student healthy. If you are concerned about any specific symptoms, call your healthcare provider or school for advice.  
• If your teens must stay home for health reasons, make sure they ask their teachers for resources and materials to make up for the missed learning time in the classroom.  

Help your teen stay engaged & communicate with the school!

• Ask your student about their classes, lunch time, and other school activities.  
• Notice if your student’s attitude toward school has changed and reach out to their teachers if they need different supports. We have flexible and thoughtful teachers, student groups, and counseling services. 
• Monitor your student’s attendance on PowerSchool. Contact your student’s teachers with questions and concerns.  
• Encourage your student to attend after-school help session or participate in our clubs and sports on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. We have a bus that can take them home!

 Edited from www.attendanceworks.org 

 

Student with higher absenteeism and truancy experience difficulty in learning as it becomes to difficult for teachers to maintain a continuity in their teaching and students struggle to catch up with their peers.

Students who leave school during school time or are enrolled in the afterschool program and leave the school without permission are considered to be truant.  A student who is NOT in class when school is in session, but is either in the hall or on school grounds, must have the following:

1. A school approved and recognized hall pass​
2. Note from teacher, administrator, or counselor
3. A note from a parent/guardian to explain tardiness.

Truancy and loitering may result in appearance before Peer Court.  Chronic truancy may result in a recommendation for an alternate placement or for student on special permit to return to their boundary school.

 

Sick Room

The sick room is allowed for short-term assistance. Parents/guardians will be called and are expected to pick up students who are ill.  If a parent/guardian cannot be reached an adult from the emergency contact list will be called. 

·         Band-Aids and Neosporin are provided for student with minor scrapes or cuts.

·         Feminine Hygiene pads are provided for emergency situations.  The office is not authorized to provide students with tampons.

·         Ice for minor injuries can be provided.  Students are required to call home whenever they request ice to keep parents informed.

·         All head injuries will be reported to parent/guardian by phone.

·         Medication is not stocked, stored, or distributed on the premises for general use.  Staff is not authorized to give students medication. We encourage parents/guardians to have students take medication outside of school hours.

·         Students that require health care plans for specific health conditions will need to turn in completed S-9: Student Medication Form to the Vice-Principal.  The school nurse, will coordinate with parents/guardians and assistant principal to set up the health care plans that meet the student’s needs. 

·         No student is to attend school when suffering from any type of illness during its contagious period.  (I.e. lice, pinky eye, strep throat…)

Keep your child home from school if:

·      Your child was sick with vomiting or watery diarrhea within the last 24 hrs.

·      Your child had a fever of 100 degrees or higher at any time within the last 24 hrs.

·      Your child is being treated for strep throat (must be on antibiotics for 24 hrs. before returning to school)

·      Your child has crusted or matted eyelashes and/or green, yellow, or white sticky eye drainage along with redness.  Please note: your child needs it see a doctor for medication if it is “pink eye”.

 

For court orders that effect your student it is important that you notify the Registrar.  You will need to visit the office and provide the court order to be included in the students file.

 

Five or more consecutive absences must be excused by a doctor’s note.  If a parent/guardian knows in advance their student will miss school 5 or more days, they must obtain an extended absences note from the office.  Students are requested to plan vacation on non-school days.

 Each student will have their own lunch account where Parents/Guardians can pay in advance either online or directly to our treasurer in the front office. Applications for free/reduced meals are available at the nutrition office in the cafeteria or can be completed online at any time.  If you have any questions regarding free/reduced meals you can call the child nutrition department at 801-974-8380.  Parents/guardians will receive reminder calls from Salt Lake City School District and Bryant Treasure for any negative balances on lunch accounts.  To pay online please go to https://www.mypaymentsplus.com/

Students are required to follow the District Dress Code Policy. All students are expected to dress appropriately. Please review this policy with your student. This year, with input from parents, students and staff, we plan to create a dress code specific to SLCSE-Bryant. We will reach out to get input from all stakeholders. If you would like to be more involved please consider joining our School Community Council (SCC).

• Any article of clothing, badge, sign, lettering, hairdo, jewelry, emblem, symbol, or other personal display or adornment, which is intended by the students, or is recognized or acknowledged by students or Metro Gang Task Force, to designate a gang symbol or to signify affiliation with, participation in, or approval of a gang is PROHIBITED.
• Immodest and suggestive clothing; apparel advocating illegal or inappropriate behavior or language; head wear; gang symbols; disruptive apparel is PROHIBITED.
• Accommodations will be made for students whose religious beliefs are substantially affected by dress code requirements.
• All clothing should be modest, safe, and clean.
• Clothing should not detract from learning.
• Hoodies are PERMITTED, but the hood should be down at all times while in the building and during school hours
• No sleeveless shirts.
• No flip-flops, or loose fitting sandals.
• Nothing should be sheer or see-through.
• Shorts, skirts, and jumpers may not be more than 3 inches above the knees.
• Leggings may be worn under skirts, shorts, or jumpers but may not be used alone as pants.
• No bare midriffs (stomachs) allowed.
• Clothing shall not expose abdomen or chest and shall be of sufficient size to conceal undergarments at all times.
• Clothing such as low-cut, tops, bare midriffs, spaghetti-straps and tight-fitting clothing is prohibited.
• The waistband on shorts and pants need to be above the hipbone.
• Hats and sunglasses may not be worn in the school building during school hours.

Consequences for students who violate the District Dress Code include, but are not limited to the following:

•  Students wearing shirts with inappropriate illustrations will be required to reverse the shirt inside out, change, or put another shirt or sweater on to cover inappropriate illustrations.
• Students will be required to change or cover suggestive or immodest clothing.
• If students come to school out of dress code, a parent or guardian may be notified and requested to bring appropriate clothing for the day.
• Students with excessive dress code violations will be referred to his/her counselor and administration. If necessary, parents/guardians will be called for a conference with administration.

All lost and found articles should be turned in to the Front Office Window immediately. Electronic devices items are given to the Assistant Principal.  Other items are placed in the lost and found rack located in front of the cafeteria. Useful items that are not claimed will be donated to charity on a quarterly basis. Everyone should take precautions to avoid the loss of personal belongings.  Personal property brought to school for any reason is solely the responsibility of the owner. Lost or stolen items should be reported immediately to the Vice-Principal through an incident report form. 

Elevator use is restricted. Students with physical disability, permanent or temporary, may contact the Vice-Principal to obtain permission to use the elevator.

📞 Important Notice for SLCSE- Bryant Parents: Cell Phone Policy

Our School is a Cell Phone-Free Zone during school hours.

Cell phones should be turned OFF at the start of the school day and kept off until the end of the day. Students’ phones should not be used in the classroom, hallways, library, common areas including outside school areas, or restrooms during the school day.

Why is this Important?

·       Safety First: We prioritize the safety of our students. Unrestricted cell phone use can pose security risks as we cannot always verify who is contacting your child.

·       Focus on Learning: Limiting cell phone use helps students concentrate better and engage more fully in their education.

Cell Phone Guidelines:

·       Phones Must Be:

o   Kept in lockers or

o   Silent in bags throughout the school day and

o   Must be out of sight during the entire school day.

·       For Parents/ Guardians:

o   If you need to contact your child urgently, please call the main office at 801.578.8118.

o   We will facilitate any necessary calls home from the main office.

o   If your student does not follow the cell phone guidelines, parents/guardians will be asked to pick up the cell phone from the front office.

Want More Information?

·       For insights on why cell phone restrictions are beneficial in schools, please watch: Middle School Cell Phone Information

·       https://schoolsecurity.org/trends/cell-phones-and-text-messaging-in-schools/

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. Together, we create a safer and more focused learning environment for our students.

Bryant Middle School Administration