HOPE ACADEMY’S EXCUSED ABSENCE POLICY
Hope Academy does not give scholarships, admittance into our Triple Threat program, or performance opportunities to students who have other commitments – especially sports, but also extra curricular activities such as school plays or participation in other performance groups. Social activities (birthday parties, sleep overs, ski trips); cultural activities (theater, opera, dance); academic activities (homework, project work) should all be scheduled on days and times when students aren’t scheduled to be at Hope Academy. The expectation is that Hope Academy classes, lessons, rehearsals, recitals and performances will be their first priority.
Families must complete an online Excused Absence Request Form for all scheduled and emergency absences.
Scheduled Excused Absence requests must be submitted before the beginning of the next term. If it is important enough to miss a class, lesson, rehearsal, recital or performance, it should be important enough to have been scheduled well in advance. For example, family trips, weddings, graduation ceremonies, CAPA auditions, SAT tests.
The deadline dates for scheduled excused absences to be submitted in 2018-2019 are:
- September 15, 2018 for the fall term
- December 15, 2018 for the winter term
- March 15, 2019 for the spring term (and end of the year performances)
Emergency Excused Absence requests, which include health related issues, should be entered into this excused absence form (and then, in the case of private lessons, the teaching artist should be contacted) as soon as you know, or expect, that you might not make it to a class, lesson, rehearsal or performance. Unexcused emergency absence requests include homework, projects, or punishments/consequences.
The first consequence of an unexcused absence is to reassign any private lessons the student receives a scholarship for to another student on the wait list. Teaching artists are paid whether or not the student is here for the lesson, so we want to make sure that we are being good stewards of the generous donations we receive for this program. The next consequence is to recast any performance opportunities the student has been given.
Scholarship and Triple Threat students should have no more than 2 excused absences per year – and no unexcused absences. They are also required to complete the entire year, from mid-September to end of May. Families who are unable to commit to this agreement will not be eligible for future scholarships at Hope Academy (this applies to all other siblings in the family).
It is difficult to have a policy that covers every variable so we try to take individual circumstances into account. The more information and time we have, the easier it is to schedule around absences. If there are circumstances that will make it difficult to attend private lessons and/or classes going forward, please schedule a time for a conversation with Hope Academy’s director before it becomes a last minute emergency. There are often ways we can work together to resolve scheduling conflicts so that the family remains in good standing.