The School Day

The University of Chicago Laboratory Schools

The School Day

Regular attendance at school is an essential part of the learning process. We expect students to attend school every day unless they are ill. In case of illness or other unforeseen cause of absence, parents should promptly call the attendance coordinator, at 702-9443. If the school does not receive notification of a student's absence, we will try to reach parents by phone.

Students who are absent for one or two days should call responsible classmates to find out about homework assignments. If the absence is three or more days, parents may call the middle school secretary, who will request homework assignments from the teachers. In the rush to return to classes or make-up work, students often do not give their bodies the chance to fully recover. Please remember to allow your child time to get well before trying to make up missed assignments.

When students return to school after an extended time away, they need to meet with their teachers to determine what is expected and which assignments must be completed. An appropriate plan for the completion of work will be developed. Students can work with their advisor to be sure that they have done all that is necessary to be in good standing with their teachers. The advisor is a good person to help the student organize a plan for meeting the expectations of several teachers.

Prearranged Absences

Parents should write a letter in advance explaining the need for any prearranged absence to the advisor. For absences of one week or more, the contact needs to be with the principal. We ask parents to not put their children into the troublesome bind of missing school unnecessarily. Families are asked not to extend or create holidays outside the regular vacation times. The school cannot excuse such absences and teachers are not responsible for the results of family decisions that cause children to miss school. It is important for parents to know that such choices do place their children in the middle, and schoolwork along with a child's feeling of control may suffer.

Early Arrival

5th Grade students begin classes at 8:15 A.M. 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students start their day at 8:00 A.M. Students are expected to arrive at school no more than thirty minutes before the start of the school day. Supervision of students who come early presents problems to the school. Faculty preparation for the day ahead is interrupted, and the school is not staffed for this extended period of supervision. We ask parents and students to cooperate with us in making the start of each school day as smooth, safe and peaceful as possible.

Tardiness

Being on time is important. Part of the middle school's role is to help students develop good learning habits, and punctuality is certainly one of these. Students who arrive at school late are to report to the middle school secretary to get a late pass to present to their teacher. The pass system allows the school to have an accurate accounting of daily attendance, and it helps us know which students need to work on their punctuality. If a pattern of regular lateness develops, parents will be informed and it will be necessary that an agreement be made that breaks the pattern of tardiness.

The same emphasis on punctuality will be made concerning the starting times for individual classes. We will work with students to help them understand the importance of timeliness. We will help students see that the major consequence of tardiness will be its effect on their class work and performance. Because students are often late because of adult issues and time conflicts, we ask for your help in having your child here on time. Once more, students can be caught in the middle of home situations and school expectations. Please help us to avoid this dilemma.

Leaving During the School Day

Middle School students are not to leave the school grounds during the school day unless they have brought written permission from their parents to the middle school office.

After School

School is dismissed at 3:25 on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. On Tuesday and Friday dismissal is at 2:35. Students who regularly need to be in school after dismissal are required to enroll in the middle school "Center," our after school program. Registration forms are included in the August mailing; please call the office of the Middle School Dean of Students at (773) 702-2092 for additional information. Students not participating in an after school activity or "Center" are to wait for their ride in the Blaine Lobby.

Snow/Emergency School Closing

When severe weather forces us to close, a telephone calling chain will be initiated through grade chairpersons and room parents. Major television and radio stations will be notified.