Emma E. Booker students are expected to be in class from 8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. All gates on campus will be LOCKED during school hours. Students arriving between 8:30 and 9am must first report to the main office where they will receive a tardy slip before heading to class. Students who arrive after 8:30am should be walked into the front office and signed in. They will receive a tardy pass.

Regular and punctual attendance is vitally important to a student's success in school.

Emma E. Booker Elementary School is committed to providing a positive learning environment for students.  It is critical that students are in school every day for them to maximize their learning potential. Florida state law requires regular school attendance, and it is the responsibility of the parent to ensure that his/her child attends school daily. It is recognized that there are occasions when absences are unavoidable.  Sarasota County School Rule 7.103 Student Absences defines an excused absence as follows:   

• Illness of the student, documented by the parent/guardian, or medical doctor. 
• Documented major illness in the student’s immediate family. 
• Religious holiday(s) of the specific faith of the student. 

• State law mandates parents/guardians to notify the school as soon as possible when their child is absent from school and to provide a written explanation within 3 days of the absence. 
• In accordance with School Board Policy, your child’s absence will be considered unexcused until a note is received by the Main Office. The principal or designee has the authority, within the guidelines of the law, to determine if an absence is excused. 
• Absences for vacation or other anticipated reasons must be given prior approval from an administrator, and the student must complete the work prior to the absence. Students with excessive absences will not be excused for such reasons.  
• Children who are ill or running a fever should NOT be sent to school - both for their benefit and the welfare of all other children in the school. It is recommended that a child have a normal temperature.

for 24 hours BEFORE returning to school. In cases of excessive excused absences for illness, a parent may be asked to provide documentation from a physician. 

• You will be notified, using your primary phone number, if your child is absent from school (this is an automated call and you will receive this call even if you have called in the absence earlier. See Connect Ed.).  If you received this message in error, please contact the main office.
• Parents/Guardians will be notified of unexcused or unexplained absences. If a pattern of nonattendance develops, parents/guardians will be asked to conference with school staff and participate in efforts to remediate the situation. If unexcused absences continue, truancy procedures will be initiated.

• When students are absent and parents write a valid excuse, teachers will provide opportunities for students to complete missed assignments. 
• A student who has an excused absence or an absence resulting from suspension shall be expected to make up missed work. 
• In the case of all other unexcused absences, students may not receive full credit for makeup work during the period of the unexcused absence. 
• Make up work must be completed within a time frame equal to the number of days absent. 
• Please give teachers a 3-day notice when calling in requests for assignments. 

• We strongly encourage parents to keep their children in school for the entire instructional day. 
• If it is an emergency or necessary to take your child out of school early, parents are requested to send a note to the teacher indicating an early dismissal. 
• The student will be called to the office when the parent/guardian has shown ID and signed the student out.  To maximize learning time, students will not be sent to the office until you sign in at the front desk.
• Students may not be picked up by parents/guardian directly from the classroom.
• All persons picking up a student must have proper identification and must be listed on the student’s contact information in our system.
• Parent/Guardian with whom the student resides must inform the school in writing if an early dismissal is to occur.   
• Children will not be released to anyone not listed in the Student Information System contact information system for that student. Therefore, please make sure that your child’s contact information is updated so we have the correct names of people on the contact list who are permitted to take your child from school.  
• NOTE:  Early dismissals are coded and counted on the computer as a Tardy. They are included within the tardy count on the student’s report card.

**There will be no early dismissals permitted after 2:30 p.m. unless there is an emergency.  In an emergency, parents/guardians will be required to see an administrator prior to the student being dismissed.

Regular and punctual attendance is critical to a student’s success in school. Students who arrive late to school disrupt the learning process for students already in their class and teachers are interrupted during instruction. It is important to remember that a child who is habitually absent or tardy will experience academic difficulty and will struggle to make learning gains in school. We appreciate your cooperation in helping all children learn by minimizing interruptions in the classroom and having your child at school on time. 

Please make sure your children are in their class by 8:30 am, when the final bell rings. Students who are late for any reason should be escorted to the main office by their parent or guradian.  Students will receive a tardy pass to give to their teacher and the office will adjust the attendance report to reflect the student’s presence at school.