It is important to Highlands High School that students attend school every weekday for the required number of days in the school year.
Fort Thomas Independent Schools (FTIS) has a predetermined amount of days students should attend school. If there is a day with no school that isn’t on the calendar (snow days, e.g), the district will make it up by adding additional days to the calendar. This is why some school years can end in May and others end in June. A snow day or any unannounced off day may seem good at first, until one realizes that it extends the school year.
Highlands always documents which students are here and who isn’t. Those who aren’t here are marked as absent, and there are consequences if it happens repeatedly.
Students who come to school between 8:00-8:30 AM are marked as tardy. They will get a warning if they obtain three tardies, and after that, each one will receive a detention. Once it reaches ten, students will go to Saturday detention, and at 11, they will be ineligible for extracurricular activities for the rest of the semester, as well as not being allowed to go to the next school dance.
For absences, six will result in the loss of the ability to be exempt from two final exams(one core, one elective) for 9th and 10th graders, and the number of exemptions is expanded for 11th and 12th graders. This isn’t a punishment, but it is a loss of a major advantage for final exams. Nine absences will prevent the ability to go to Homecoming or Prom activities. This isn’t a punishment, but it is a loss of a major advantage for final exams.
In general, to miss school would mean to be in the dark when it comes to knowing what happened that day. There will be catching up to do in classes as well as additional classwork to complete in order to not get left behind.
Tests will have to be made up on another day, with time that could be used for catching up with the same period or for anything else. The most detrimental effect is that students won’t be educated. Education is important to students as it gives them knowledge of basic aspects in life and the skills to survive in the world when they are on their own. Schools teach more than just subjects in classes.
“I think students attending school is important because school is where we develop skills beyond just academics. I think it’s about learning how to interact with others and work collaboratively. Being present makes sure we don’t miss out on any opportunities,” Henry Mitchell (10) said.
The effects of being absent can become more consequential based on how many days students missed school, as well as which classes they took for the school year.
Otherwise, coming to school is one of the precedents that prepare students for the future. Going to school is similar to going to work, as students and employees must get to their respective places on time according to their schedule.
Being absent from school many times results in punishments, but being absent from work can yield higher risks and potentially get the absentee fired.
Not being at school for a long period can also create bad habits for students that could persist throughout their lifetime.
“I think something else that happens is that if you don’t come to school, if you’re habitually truant, it creates bad habits for life. Sometimes as people, we have to show up to things we don’t want to be at because that’s what is required of us. I hope people don’t feel that school is not valuable, but I think it just sets a bad precedent of what you’re going to do later in life,” Principal John Darnell said.
This growth of bad habits not only impacts attendance, but also results in a decrease in perception of how reliable someone else is when they don’t meet expectations.
“If the expectation is that you’re there, then you’re there. If I tell somebody I’m going to do something, then I do it. I want to be somebody that I can count on, so just showing up to school, it’s the least that we expect of people, but if you don’t start showing up a lot, then it builds bad habits. When you do have a job or anything like that, then it makes it hard to just show up for that too,” Assistant Principal Jennifer Nash said.
In terms of future jobs, any leading employers in the area won’t hire people who don’t have at least a high school diploma, and those who don’t have one are usually relegated to lower quality jobs that pay less money.
To get the diploma, people must attend school. The lesson of attendance could also apply to other events like parties and funerals, and have their own importance and impacts.
Attendance teaches people that it is important to come to places on time when they should, and be obligated to try their best to make an appearance for others to show that they are prepared and ready.
