Walnut Hill’s program depends on learning-by-doing; when a student misses a class period, he or she misses an experience that cannot be recreated. While faculty do their best to help students who are unable to attend class for excused reasons make up coursework, many class experiences cannot be replicated. Careful consideration needs to be given before a student misses a class for any reason, as this choice will have unavoidable repercussions.
Attendance and Lateness Policies
Walnut Hill requires students to be in all classes on time every day. Classes begin at 8:00 am and continue through the afternoon to 6:30 pm; academic classes meet until 2:00, after which time arts classes are conducted. Students must also attend all school assemblies and each school performance. Students may not miss classes for any reason, except with the permission of an appropriate school official. It is the responsibility of any student missing class for any reason to contact the teacher, find out about assignments, and review notes from other students so as not to fall behind. For extended absences, students must communicate directly with teachers in advance about missed work.
Faculty members are in constant communication with the Deans about student attendance. Students with chronic attendance problems will be asked to come before the Academic Committee with their advisor at midterm and/or the end of a semester. Students and their parents/guardians are asked to review the School’s Attendance Policy and indicate their acceptance of it by signing an acknowledgment statement before the first day of classes each year.
Excused Absences
Students who miss class because of an illness, an appointment with a health professional, an audition or college visit, or a major family obligation may have their absences excused, with approval of the appropri–ate school official.
Students who become ill must go directly to the School Nurse. The Nurse may excuse students for the day. Day students must see the School Nurse prior to calling their parents; the Nurse will decide whether students may be excused. Parents of boarding students may not call in to excuse their child for illness.
Boarding students excused during the school day because of illness must be resting in their rooms—no common room, no downtown permissions, no Campus Center. Students may not attend classes or rehearsals unless approved by the Health Center. Students may go to the Dining Hall for meals.
Day students who are unable to come to school on a given day must have their parents call the Attendance Office at 508.650.5023 on that day. Phone calls must be made by noon of the day on which the student is to be excused. After a student’s fifth absence due to illness, consultation with the Dean of Students regard–ing necessary medical documentation is required.
If excused for illness in the morning, a student must be cleared by the Health Center to attend afternoon and evening classes and rehearsals. This requirement applies to both boarding and day students. Day students who come to campus after missing a class for illness must be cleared through the Health Center prior to attending classes or rehearsals.
The Health Center will circulate a sick list in the late morning; students on the sick list may not attend classes or rehearsals without a note from the School Nurse.
Students giving evening recitals at the School may request to be excused from their afternoon classes, after their academic commitments are completed, the day of the recital. All such requests must be directed to the Dean of Arts.
Medical Clearance
Any student who has been told that she or he may not participate in a school activity as a result of an injury or any other medical reasons may not resume partici–pation in that activity without medical clearance by a physician. No Walnut Hill faculty member or parent may give permission to resume participation until clearance has been given by a physician. Questions regarding this policy should be addressed to the Associate Head of School for the Arts or the Dean of Students.
College/University Travel
The expectation is that students will arrange their auditions to minimize the number of classes or days of school missed. Students must follow the Placement Office procedures to have absences excused, prior to leaving for auditions, or these will be unexcused absences.
Unexcused Absences
Students are expected to attend all scheduled classes, rehearsals, meetings, lessons, required performances, and other school commitments (referred to as “class” hereafter).
If a student is absent for a class, the absence is consid–ered unexcused until the student speaks with an adult to excuse the absence. Absences may be excused through the following four offices:
Student Life Office
Ellen Sears
Director of Student Life
508.650.5023
esears@walnuthillarts.org
Melissa Cassel
Dean of Students
508.650.5029
mcassel@walnuthillarts.org
Tom Kardel
Assistant Dean of Students
tkardel@walnuthillarts.org
Admission and Placement
(Parents must excuse absences related to college visits or auditions)
Admission and Placement Reception
508.650.5020
admissions@walnuthillarts.org
Health Services (School Nurses)
508.650.5030
Music Department (Music Faculty)
508.650.5024
(For music-related absences only)
Parents of day students may excuse illness absences by calling the Student Life Office.
Absences are tracked on a two-week-cycle system. Students with outstanding unexcused absences at the end of the cycle must face the following consequences:
First Unexcused Absence
If an absence is still unexcused at the end of the atten–dance cycle, a student must report to a proctored Sunday morning detention on campus. Detention will run from 8:00 to 10:00 on Sunday morning. Off-campus plans do not excuse students from this obligation, and permissions will be granted accordingly by the student’s Dorm Head. Students in Sunday Detention must write a postcard to their parents alerting them to the absence. Students must bring appropriate school material to work during detention. Electronic devices are not allowed at detention. If a student skips Sunday Detention, he or she must serve two detentions to make up for the skip.
Chronic tardiness at Sunday Detention will result in disciplinary consequences.
Second Unexcused Absence
If a student accrues a second unexcused absence, a boarding student will be confined to her or his room Friday night. A day student will attend a study hall daily during the academic day for one week.
Third Unexcused Absence
If a student accrues a third unexcused absence, a boarding student will be confined to his or her room for both Friday and Saturday nights, and a day student will attend a study hall daily during the academic day for two weeks.
Fourth Unexcused Absence
If a student accrues attendance consequences over four times in a semester, she or she will have an administra–tive hearing and risk serious consequences, up to and including administrative withdrawal from the School.
Grade Penalty
A portion of each academic grade is based on atten–dance. For each absence that remains unexcused, a point is taken off the final grade. Students may get absences excused at any time during a semester and avoid a grade penalty; however, if the absences are not excused by the end of the grace period, students must face the above consequences.
Class participation is an important percentage of the academic grade; more than a few excused absences will likely have a negative impact.
Skipping Sunday Detention, Dormitory Rooming, or Study Hall
A student missing two Sunday Detentions or failing to appear for other attendance consequences will have an administrative hearing and risk serious consequences, up to and including administrative withdrawal from the School.
Excessive Absences
Students who accrue excessive unexcused absences will be reviewed by the Academic Dean and Dean of Students. Continued attendance difficulties will result in administrative withdrawal from the School.
Lateness
A student who arrives at class after the beginning of a class period without a note from an administrator, teacher, or staff member is considered late. Three such incidences of lateness constitute one unexcused absence. Arriving more than 10 minutes late without a note constitutes an unexcused absence. Students are urged to make the effort to get to class, even if they are more than 10 minutes late; it is up to the discre–tion of the individual teacher as to whether or not the grade penalty for an unexcused absence will still be applied.
In addition, an unexcused absence will be given to any student who leaves a class before being dismissed.
Day parents may not excuse a student for being tardy to their first class of the day except in unusual circum–stances and at the discretion of the Dean of Students or the Director of Student Life.
No student may leave a class if the teacher is late, unless excused by an adult. If a teacher or another adult is not in the academic classroom at the time for class to begin, students should inquire with the Academic Dean or the Registrar.
All travel plans must be made with the School’s calendar in mind. Students will not be excused to facilitate travel.
Reporting of Attendance
Attendance reports are updated daily in the School’s computer attendance system, and advisors review attendance with their advisees at their weekly meetings. It is the student’s responsibility to monitor his or her own attendance record.
