Attendance & Reporting Guidelines

Regular attendance is a legal requirement and essential for high school success. A parent or guardian must approve absences for students under 18. Students 18 and older may self-validate.

The Ministry of Education has outlined specific requirements for parents, families, and caregivers when reporting an excused absence. Excused absences will not impact a Grade 9 to 12 student’s attendance mark.

How to Report an Excused Absence

Telephone calls or voicemail messages alone do not meet the Ministry’s requirements for recording an excused absence.

If you were to call the JHSS Attendance line, you will hear the following message:

“To report a student’s absence, please send an email to jhs-attendance@wrdsb.ca.  Please include the student’s name, date of birth and the dates they will be away.  A  written notice is required so a student’s grades are not affected.”

A student’s parent or guardian, or the student if they are an adult, must submit a written request to excuse the student for a specified time frame. This could include:

  • Illness
  • A medical appointment
  • Vacation or family obligation
  • Holy/Cultural day
  • Sporting engagement

Emailed absence notifications should be sent to jhs-attendance@wrdsb.ca.    The written notification must include:

  • Student’s name
  • Student’s date of birth
  • Date(s) of the absence and date of return to school
  • Time or period the student will be absent

Students remain responsible for completing any missed learning or assessments.

Late Arrivals & Appointments

  • Late for Class: Proceed directly to class. Your teacher will mark you late. Frequent lates are referred to a Vice-Principal.
  • Evening Calls: An automated phone system contacts families each evening regarding same-day lates or absences.

Extended Absences

Absences due to illness may require medical verification.

If parent/guardian needs to withdraw their student for up to 15 days an FS-26-TW Temporary Student Withdrawal Form  is to be completed.  The form should be brought to the appropriate Vice Principal prior to departure.

The school is not responsible for providing alternative programming.

Adult Students

Under the Age of Majority and Education Acts, adult status means any person who attains 18 years of age.

Students who are 18 years of age may pick up an Adult Student Status form at the Attendance Office. When the form is completed and returned to the school the student may provide their own information concerning absences.