Sunrise Pine

Health and Safety Policies

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Purpose. Regular attendance and active participation are essential for student success and are required by Florida law. This policy explains expectations, how attendance is recorded in an online environment, how to report absences, make‑up rules, and how extended absences are handled.

What counts as “attendance” in online school

A student is present when they:

  • Join scheduled live sessions on time with the required camera and microphone settings and actively participate as directed, or

  • Work in the learning platform (LMS) on assigned lessons and assessments, meeting pacing and engagement expectations set by the teacher.

  • Students are required to complete a minimum of 2 hours of independent work daily.

How we record attendance

  • Videoconference participation logs (join/leave times, participant lists) and teacher roll verify presence during live classes.

  • The learning platform records activity (log‑ins, lesson and quiz openings, time‑on‑task, timestamps, re‑entries). These analytics help teachers and parents monitor progress and may be reviewed when investigating academic honesty or engagement concerns. Analytics are indicators, not proof by themselves; teachers consider the full context. (leg.state.fl.us)

  • For students in virtual programs, schools must be able to provide attendance, participation, and performance information to districts as required. (leg.state.fl.us, Florida Department of Education)

Reporting absences

  • Parent notice. If a student must miss class, a parent/guardian should email the teacher at least 24 hours in advance, except for emergencies.

  • Documentation. For excused absences (as defined by district policy), provide documentation when requested (e.g., medical note, court notice). The teacher will record the absence as excused or unexcused per district criteria. (Florida Department of Education)

  • Teacher contact. If a student is absent without notice, the teacher will notify the parent/guardian.

Tardiness and participation

  • On‑time expectation. Students must arrive on time for live sessions and stay engaged for the duration.

  • 15‑minute rule. A grace period of up to 15 minutes is allowed for late arrival. After 15 minutes, the session may be ended by the teacher and recorded as a missed class.

  • During class. Students must remain focused on class activities (no games, shows, unrelated browsing). See Code of Conduct.

  • Follow‑up. Repeated tardiness triggers a teacher‑parent conference and an attendance plan.

Engagement and pacing expectations

  • Students are responsible for staying current with their To‑Do list and pacing tracker.

  • Teachers monitor time‑on‑task and assessment behavior. Unusually short quiz times (e.g., seconds to a few minutes) or frequent back‑and‑forth between assessments and lessons may signal that support is needed or may prompt an Academic Integrity review. Patterns are reviewed holistically with the student and parent.

Make‑up work, retakes, and rescheduling

  • Excused absences. Students may make up work, labs, quizzes, and tests without academic penalty upon contacting their teacher.

  • Rescheduling live classes. Classes canceled on time (24‑hour notice) may be rescheduled, subject to teacher availability. No‑shows or late cancellations are marked missed.

  • Assessment retakes (mastery‑based). After consulting the teacher, a student who performs poorly may request up to three retakes on the same topic with different question sets. All attempts and scores remain visible to the teacher in the platform.

Extended absences

  • If a student must miss classes for more than 3 consecutive school days, parents must notify the school so we can create a temporary pacing plan (e.g., pausing portions of the To‑Do list or shifting deadlines when appropriate).

  • Extended absences without communication can cause workload “pile‑ups.” Early notice allows the school to support the student and prevent gaps.

Communication and support

  • Teacher outreach. Teachers contact parents/guardians about absences, tardiness, or disengagement to solve the problem at hand early.

  • Student responsibility. Students should ask for help promptly (content questions, time management, tech issues).

Legal basis (Florida)

  • Compulsory attendance. Florida requires school attendance for students ages 6–16 unless an approved exemption applies. Students who are 16–18 remain subject to compulsory attendance unless they file a formal declaration of intent to terminate school enrollment (which requires a specific process and parent involvement). (leg.state.fl.us, Florida Senate)

  • Minimum school term. Public schools must operate for 180 actual teaching days or the equivalent on an hourly basis as set by State Board rules. Even in virtual settings, schools must meet the state’s minimum term/hours. (leg.state.fl.us, m.flsenate.gov)

  • Daily attendance records. Schools must check and record attendance each school day. Students may be counted present if they are on campus or engaged in school‑approved educational activities off campus (e.g., online coursework and proctored assessments). (leg.state.fl.us, Florida Senate)

Note: District school boards set criteria for excused vs. unexcused absences; Sunrise Pine follows those criteria. (Florida Department of Education)

Sources (Florida law and DOE guidance)