2025-26 US Student Handbook Handbook | Page 6

CITIZENSHIP AND CONDUCT

ATTENDANCE

Daily attendance and punctuality are essential to academic achievement and the total development of students at Christ Presbyterian Academy. Regular school attendance increases the likelihood of a child’ s success in school. If parents are aware of a situation with the potential to cause their child an unusual number of absences, parents must contact the school to discuss it.

PUNCTUALITY

Students who arrive before the first bell should report to adult-supervised designated areas. Students who arrive after the first bell must sign in at the appropriate office. If tardiness results from causes that are excused( See, CITIZENSHIP AND CONDUCT / Attendance / Excused Absences), no penalties will be imposed. If a student is habitually tardy, the school may impose consequences to address the problem.

In middle and upper school, students are expected to be in the classroom by the starting time for each class. Entering the classroom late will earn consequences for tardiness unless, in the teacher’ s view, the portion of the class period remaining is inadequate for the student to be credited with attendance, thus resulting in the student being marked absent.

LS, MS, and US students may not enter the buildings before a designated staff member is present to supervise students at the times specified by each division. Drivers must not leave students unsupervised prior to these times.

PARTICIPATION IN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

In most cases any student involved in interscholastic athletics, an arts production, or other extracurricular event shall not participate in that activity if they are absent the day of that practice or event. For the purposes of this stipulation, any student arriving after 11:15 a. m. will be considered absent and will forfeit participation in any extracurricular activity that day. Exceptions to this provision will be made for students who have an excused absence for the day supported by required documentation as outlined below.

EXCUSED ABSENCES

Absences that are foreseeable should be submitted to the school office on the planned-absence form( US) or by email( LS / MS).

Upon returning to school after an excused absence, a student must bring a verifying note / email. For an absence to be considered excused, notes from physicians’ offices, college-visit forms, and other records of excused absences should be turned in within three days of the absence, unless prior notice of the absence is required as outlined in the below chart. Parents should access MyCPA prior to the end of the quarter to ensure attendance records are accurate. It is the responsibility of the student and / or parent to turn in all notes pertaining to an excused absence to the school’ s administrative office.

Absence from school for part or all of a day for the following reasons will be considered excused:

Reason for Absence Required Documentation Other Notes

Injury or illness

Death in the family

College visits- Students may be excused for up to 2 college visits per year during their Junior and Senior year

Court appearances

Note / email / phone call from parent; Note from physician if more than 5 days absent

Note / email from parent Note / email from the college office

Note or document from the court / attorney

If a student is injured or ill and will miss any part of the academic day, a parent should call or email the school’ s administrative assistant by 8:30 a. m. to leave a message.

Additional visits must be approved by Upper School administration.

Circumstances which in the judgment of the division head warrant absence from school and over which the student has no control

Parents or legal guardians may submit notes for students to be excused up to five( 5) days per semester, for any reason( examples include mission trips, non-CPA athletic competitions, major family events, etc.).

Note / email from parent and any other verifying documentation division head may require.

Note from parent / guardian

After five( 5) days of total absences per semester, official documentation of a qualifying excuse, as outlined above, must be submitted in order for the absence to be excused.

6 / CPA US Student Handbook 2025-26