BHS Attendance Policy

- Six absences or fewer in a 12-week trimester will allow a student to receive credit if earning a passing grade.

- If a student earns seven or more absences (up to 10) they must earn a C+ or higher on the cumulative trimester exam to receive credit.

- Eleven or more absences in a given class will result in that student being denied credit. A credit recovery process is described below.

Note: Both excused and unexcused absences count toward the absence totals. Absences that will not be counted toward the absence total include school related absences, conferences with counselors or administrators, prearranged college visitations, and suspensions.

It is the belief of Belding Area Schools that regular attendance contributes to the High School’s instructional goal of developing traits of punctuality, self‑discipline, and responsibility. A major factor in academic and social growth for students is consistent attendance. Students with good attendance generally achieve higher levels of academic success, enjoy school more, and are more employable after leaving high school.

A student who attends BHS will have five 75-minute classes each day for approximately 12 weeks. A core/required class will meet for two 12-week sessions and have an A and a B section. An encore/elective course will meet for one 12-week term. A select few courses will meet all year, or for three 12 week terms. This list of classes includes band, yearbook, and Advanced Placement courses.

If a student has between 0-6 absences in a 12-week term, they will receive credit for a class as long as they have earned a passing grade. When a student moves into the 7-10 absence range, they will need to demonstrate competency at the C+ (77.5%) level, or higher, in a class to receive credit. Once an individual has surpassed the 10-absence mark, they will need to serve “credit recovery” time to receive credit for the class.

Our attendance line is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can take advantage of this option by calling 616-794-4979. If you would prefer to speak to a person, please call 616-794-4953, between 7:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Each Wednesday throughout the school year, from 2:35-3:35 p.m., an academic (tutoring) center is hosted by the National Honor Society and their advisors. Students can attend on a voluntary basis or they can be assigned the session by one of their instructors. In most cases, if a teacher requires one of their students to attend, it will be to make up an assignment that the young person failed to complete and/or turn in.

If a student has more than 10 absences in a class, they will serve “academic detention” time after school in an attempt to make up for time they have missed. During this time, they can take tests or quizzes, or complete any type of missing work. For every hour of time served, a student will have one day deducted from their absence totals.

Notify one of the administrators, or the NHS advisors, if you need assistance with a ride home at 3:35 p.m. We have several different options for helping a student get home in a timely manner.

Yes. If a student has two or fewer excused absences in a respective class, they will qualify to take their final exam at least one day early. As a result, they will get time off from school, with no penalty, the last day of a term.

No. As we attempt to maintain the integrity of our attendance incentive, we will have to ask any student who misses an exam as a result of an absence, to make it up upon their return (after the term ends).

Does the expectation outlined above apply even the end of the school year?

Yes. A student who misses the exam window in June will need to return to BHS during summer break to complete their exams.

BHS teachers have been working hard to develop Moodle pages for the classes that they teach. Hopefully you have heard your children talk about using Moodle, but if not, I hope you ask them about it. Moodle, which is also known as “The Chalkboard,” is a course management system (CMS) that allows teachers to create web pages for their classes. CMS’s such as Moodle and Blackboard have been used for many years by colleges and universities to help teachers enhance their instruction. There are many features that teachers can use such as discussion forums, wiki pages, and surveys. There are also more simple features such as simply posting the class syllbabus or posting the requirements and grading scale for projects and assignements.

Our teachers have been trainied on Moodle and they will all use it for every class taught at BHS. Some teachers instruct three or four classes and are still new to Moodle, while others have been using it for a long time. Because of these differences, not all pages are the same, but they will all feature the course syllabus, a weekly or topic outline for the class, and the details for major assignements.

Moodle is free for schools to use and it has many features. The best way for parents to see the Moodle pages is to sit down with you child and review the pages with them. A login is required and that has been shared with students. Moodle says they are working on a feature to allow a separate parent login, but that feature is not ready for use. I think parents will really like this program. One thing I hear from parents is that they really like Skyward because it shows how their child did on assigenments, but one thing Skyward can’t tell them, is what the assignement is or when it is due. Moodle is an answer to that.

The link for the Chalkboard/Moodle can be found on the student tab for online access. I hope you will check it out!

In 2010-11, Belding High School implemented a new process to allow students to recover credits and pass classes that they have failed by focusing specifically on course concepts and standards in which they are deficient rather than having them repeat an entire course. This model has been developed and successfully implemented at Kelloggsville High School. Teacher Jerry Czarnecki has shared his program with educators all over the state and we were fortunate to host him at Belding High School in February of 2010.

To illustrate this program, let’s assume a student, Jim, has failed a math class with a grade of 56%. In looking at his grades, we see that Jim has passed two tests but failed three. When grades for quizzes and homework were added into the mix, his final grade in the class was 56%. In the past, Jim would have to repeat the entire class to receive his math credit. In this credit recovery model, Jim will focus only on the course content and material that he failed or failed to complete the first time around. He will report to the credit recovery room and pick up a packet or complete assignments assigned on e20/20 that will help him learn and review the material for which he will be tested. E20/20 is a computer based learning system. When he completes the assignment, he will turn the packet in to the credit recovery teacher and take a test over that material. When he is able to pass all of the tests, and demonstrate that he has learned the material, he will receive credit for the class. Czarnecki uses the analogy of completing a puzzle to help people understand this process. If you walk away from a puzzle that is incomplete, you typically start by filling in the missing pieces when you return. You don’t tear the puzzle apart and start all over again. By focusing only on material that was failed the first time, students don’t have to repeat material they already know.

If a student does recoup credit through this process, their original failing grade remains on his/her transcript. A much better alternative to this would be to take advantage of credit intervention which allows students to retake exams during the trimester before final grades are issued. Students who fail a test can retake it for a higher grade and raise his/her grade before the final grades are issued. We consider this to be a credit intervention. This process will be handled by individual teachers and departments.

Credit Recovery will be held before school 6:05 AM -7:20 AM in Room 223 with Mrs. Veselenak. It will be after school from 2:30-3:30 in room 121 with Ms. Dombrowski. Students may ride the late bus after school.
Currently, credit recovery is available for English language arts, math and science. There is a $20.00 course fee for each credit recovery class. However, all free and reduced lunch students and many other students will qualify for a waiver of this fee. Please see your counselor to determine if you qualify for the waiver.

Michelle Veselenak 616-794-4924

Christina Dombrowski 616-794-4923