Attendance

NDA desires to provide a quality education for each of our students. Attendance at school is considered very important to the whole learning process. When a student is absent from class, lectures, discussions, and demonstrations are missed that cannot be repeated. Therefore, it is extremely important that students are consistently present for all of their classes.

Our absence policy allows a student to miss up to 16 class periods for a full credit course and up to 8 class periods for a half credit course before credit is lost due to missed class time. If a student exceeds the allotted number of days, she will lose credit in that course. This will be recorded on the report card and transcript as a Withdraw Passing (WP), unless she is failing the course, which will result in a Withdraw Failing (WF).

If a student must be absent from school, a parent/guardian should call the school office by 7:45 AM. The student should bring a note upon her return stating the date of the absence and the reason for missing school. Other documentation, such as a doctor’s note, is also very helpful. These notes are kept in the student’s file.

If a student must be absent from school for more days than the policy states above, has a chronic condition, is having surgery, or must miss school repeatedly for reasons beyond her control, she must complete the Excused Absence Application Form, downloaded from below, and return it to the school office. Excused absences, those NOT counted toward a student’s missed points, include:

• A “college day” is a day that a senior or junior is scheduled to visit a college or university. The student must obtain a verification form from the school office to take with her and return it signed by a college official. Download College Visit Form using the button below. Failure to provide verification will result in an unexcused absence. College visits are not excused after April 30 of the academic year. NOTE: College visits are not mandatory. Students are allowed a combined total of 5 excused college visits throughout their junior and senior years.