Attendance Protocol

Absences:

Family vacations should be planned with the school calendar in mind to prevent children from missing classroom instructional time.  When a student is absent, he/she must provide a written excuse and/or a doctor’s note within 3 days upon returning to school.  Please include the following information:

• Child’s name  
• Teacher’s name 
• Date(s) of absence
• Reason for absence
• Parent’s signature

You may use the form below, or send an email directly to the front office.  State law governs excused absences.  If a child needs to be out for an extended period of time, please notify the teacher and the school registrar.  Please make every effort to schedule medical and dental appointments after school hours to avoid interruption of the instructional program.  A computer generated call will occur each day your child is absent or tardy.  Please call the school office if you receive this call in error. 

If a child comes to school after 11:10 am or leaves before 11:10 am, he/she will be counted absent.  A child must be here for a minimum of half the school day to be considered present.   

 Attendance Referral Process:

• Three (3) unexcused absences:  Teachers will communicate with parents regarding student attendance via e-mail, phone or parent conference. 
• Five (5) unexcused absences: A district generated letter will be sent to the parents.
• Seven (7) unexcused absences: A school social work referral will be generated by principal or principal designee listing specific school-based interventions (phone calls, letters, conferences, etc.) that have occurred prior to making the referral.
• Ten (10) consecutive absences from school will result in automatic withdrawal. 

 After School Program (ASP)

• ASP is a prepaid program.  The fee is $10.00 per day with a yearly registration fee of $20.00.
• A new registration packet must be completed each school year, even if a student attended ASP the previous year.
• Please allow 24 hours to process new registrations.
• The hours are 2:20 pm – 6:00 pm Monday-Friday on the days that school is in session.
• During early release days, ASP will be open from school dismissal (12:20) thru 6:00 pm.
• Photo ID is required for student pick up by approved adults on the registration form.
• Late fees accrue at the rate of $1 per minute beginning at 6:00 pm.
• A nutritious snack is provided daily and is included in the fee.

For additional information about the ASP program, please visit the ASP page on our school website. 

 Birthday Celebrations

If you wish to recognize your child’s birthday at school, please contact our cafeteria to schedule a delicious snack.  No outside food is allowed to be sent in.

 Car Pool Procedures

Whenever possible, please allow your child to ride the bus to school.  This helps with traffic congestion around the school in the mornings and afternoons.  If you must bring your children to school, please follow our car pool procedures by pulling up to the white line in front of the building where your child may exit safely.  There will be staff available to assist your child in exiting the car if necessary.  In order to ensure the safety of all students and to assist with traffic flow, we ask that students be dropped off ONLY at the front of the school and not at any other entrance.  

Dismissal begins at 2:20 on regular school days and 12:20 on early release days.  Do not begin the afternoon queue until after 1:30. If you are picking your child up through car pool, you must have a Tritt car pool tag displayed in the passenger side front window.  Car pool ends at 2:40.  Students not picked up by then will be checked into ASP where you will be required to pay the daily fee plus registration if not previously registered.

Changes in Transportation

A request for your child to go home a different way other than normal must be submitted in writing.  Phone calls are not acceptable since verifying the identity of the caller is difficult.  If a change to ASP is needed during the day, please call the front office.  ASP is a secure checkout and therefore ID will be checked before releasing a student.  Please find our Transportation Change Form below. 

Do not send any changes to transportation to teachers during the day.  They are busy teaching and may not receive your message.

Communication

Our front office staff is here to assist you in any way we can.  We try to connect with our families in many different ways.  Please visit our Communication and Social Media page to learn more.  Please refer to the calendar on the website for important dates and scheduled events.  You are able to subscribe to our calendar directly.  Directions can be found on the calendar page. 

If you would like to get in touch with your child’s teacher, the best way is to send an email.  Phone calls will be directed to voicemail in an effort to protect instructional time in the classroom.

The district website, www.cobbk12.org, is a great resource for general information about Cobb county schools. 

 FAST

The Tritt Foundation offers after-school enrichment programs known as FAST programs.  

Inclement Weather

In the beginning of each school year, parents are asked to complete an inclement weather form.  This form identifies how your child will be dismissed in the case of early school closure due to severe weather.  It is recommended that you keep a copy of this form on hand to refer to when necessary.  When school closes early due to inclement weather, the after school program will close early as well. 

PTA

Membership in Tritt's PTA is strongly encouraged. 

School Assignments/Homework

You are welcome to drop off school related items to your child before the bell rings and school commences at 7:50 am.  After that, no late assignments or personal items will be accepted except the following: glasses, lunches, coats and medicine.  This policy allows us to protect classroom instruction time and limit unnecessary interruptions.  Special circumstances do arise and the front office will use appropriate discretion at that time. 

Students will not be allowed back into the school following dismissal for forgotten items, such as homework, backpacks, etc.  This is in an effort to protect teachers’ planning time.

School Hours

Tritt Elementary school hours are 7:50 am to 2:20 pm.  Students may arrive as early as 7:15 am.     

Morning Bell Schedule:

• 7:15 - Doors open and students move to classrooms.
• 7:45 - Warning Bell Rings. Carpool Ends. Announcements Begin.
• 7:50 - Tardy Bell Rings - All students expected to be IN their classroom at this time. 

Student Checkouts

Student checkouts must be completed by 1:30 p.m. on regular school days and 11:45 a.m. on early release days.  It is important that the 1:30 deadline is enforced as the front office staff begins dismissal procedures then.  Various reports are run which need to be distributed before 2:00 p.m. Identification will be checked for all student dismissals.  Students will be released only to those authorized on the registration form unless the school had been notified otherwise is writing. 

Tardiness

Students who arrive to class after 7:50 am are considered tardy.  Students who arrive to school after 7:50 am must report to the front office to be signed in by an adult. 

It is very important for a student to arrive at school on time.  The classroom teacher begins daily instruction at 7:50 am.  When a child enters the class late, it is highly disruptive to his/her educational program and a distraction to the other students.  Tardiness should be an unusual circumstance.  A habitual pattern of tardiness is a serious problem requiring the attention of the school administration and the school social worker. 

Visitors

All visitors, including parents and volunteers, are required to show identification and must check in with the front office.  All visitors must wear a visitor or volunteer badge while on school property. This includes our building and outdoor areas. If you are here without a badge, please do not be offended if a member of the staff asks you for your identification and purpose for visiting.  You will be asked to report to the front office.  This is to protect our children from unauthorized visitors. Visitors will be pre-arranged through the classroom teacher, PTA, or TTF.