FCHS Attendance & Lateness Announcement

Rebel's Corner

Fannin County High School had an average daily attendance of 95.76% during the 2013-14 school year. This is an exceptionally high attendance rate and one of which everyone should be proud. This high attendance rate illustrates the value that parents and community members place on learning and the value faculty, staff, and district leaders place on teaching. Regular and prompt attendance is critical in order for students to achieve academic success. It is also important because the purpose of school is also to prepare students to be college and career ready.
FCHS is currently on the 4 X 4 block schedule which means students have four (4) ninety-minute classes per day per semester. The warning bell to start school rings at 8 a.m. and the tardy bell rings at 8:10. Students arriving after 8:10 report to an Administrator in the Commons Area to receive their tardy pass. Throughout the day students have seven (7) minutes of passing time from one class to another with students who are tardy between classes reporting to the office for their tardy passes.

Tardies to school and classes are counted cumulative throughout the day and the semester. Students receive the following disciplinary action for tardies: Tardies one and two “warnings”; Tardy Three—one day of work detention; Tardy Four—two days of work detention; Tardy Five—Saturday Morning School (Detention from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.) Tardy six or more—In-School Suspension. Juniors and seniors who drive to school and have excessive tardies face the possibility of losing their driving privileges for a designated time period. The counting of tardies starts over at the beginning of the new semester in January. Students and parents are encouraged to arrive at school by 8 a.m. in order to avoid the pre-school tardy and throughout the day students are encouraged to use their time wisely between classes to avoid being tardy.

For attendance purposes, students must be in class for 60 of the 90 minutes in order to be counted present. If a student is absent from a class eight (8) or more times in a semester, credit can be withheld pending the review of absences (excused, medical unexcused, tardies, early dismissals, etc). Teachers and administrators understand the needs of students and will work with students on an individual basis if medical and/or emergency situations arise. If a student accumulates ten (10) or more unexcused absences in a school year, this information is reported to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and the student will have their driver’s license suspended for one year per the laws of the State of Georgia.

For seniors interested in participating in the Senior Trip in April of 2015, it is imperative to remember that only those students who have missed 10 or less total days (excused or unexcused) for the entire school year are eligible to attend. This one day senior trip will occur in April of 2015.

Students picked up from school prior to the end of the instructional day at 3:10 are marked as having an “early dismissal” with three early dismissals counting as an absence. Parents are reminded that being in class until the end of the instructional day is vital for student success and should be selective on picking up students prior to 3:10.

While faculty and staff recognize the need for students to be absent from time to time, parents and students are reminded that the amount of time allotted to make up work is limited and equal to the number of days absent. For example, if a student misses one day from school, upon returning they will have one additional day to make up missing assignments. If two days are missed they have two days, three days missed equals three days, etc. Again, teachers will work with students who have medical situations and emergencies but regular attendance is encouraged.

As the school year gets under way and questions or concerns arise, please contact the school for additional information.

Back to Top