École Handsworth Secondary
North Vancouver School District
Absence Reporting

​​​​Please call (604) 903-3600 Extension 2 to report your child's absence.  We do not accept attendance reporting via email.

This is a 24 hour recorded message so absences may be called in prior to an absence or afterwards to explain an absence. This line is monitored frequently during the day,  however we should receive absences calls for the current day prior to the running of our Absence Report at 3:00 PM.  If you call after 3:00 PM the absence will be recorded however you may still receive a call that evening. Please ignore this message.

When reporting your child's absence to the Main Office, please provide the following information:

Last name of the student (please spell clearly)

  • First name of the student
  • Grade
  • Date of absence
  • The time the student will be absent. For example "1st class of the day", "last class of the day", "am only", "all day"
  • Reason: Excused, Appointment, Illness, Vacation etc.
NOTE:   We do not record "may be in later" "will be in if he/she feels better".

What to do if you receive a phone call?

The automated call system 'Secondary Attendance' reports the class or classes your child was marked 'absent'. You are encouraged to log into your My Education account to view your child's attendance.  My Education Log In   More information on how to log into your My Education account is available HERE.

Please talk with your son or daughter to help determine the class.  If you need more information please call the main office to find out which teacher marked your child absent.  If your child says they were in class, they must speak with the teacher who marked them 'absent' as only that teacher can verify and change the attendance.
 
In general, parents and students are reminded of the following:
  • Parents and/or guardians are expected to contact the school by telephone when their son/daughter will be absent. (Absences received by email will NOT be recorded).
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  • Students who are absent from class or school without a valid reason will be considered truant and subject to school discipline which may involve detentions, suspensions and/or, in chronic cases referral to the District Counsellor.
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  • Teachers have the responsibility to report poor attendance and punctuality to parents, either by telephone and/or letter. The Administration, in the absence of exceptional circumstances, will suspend or withdraw a student who refuses to comply
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  • Parents electing to take students out of school for extended periods for reasons other than illness, such as vacations, do so at the risk of affecting the student's achievement. Teachers are not required to provide tutoring services, materials, or tests for such absences.

NOTE: When a student registers at Handsworth they are in fact making a commitment to abide by the rules and expectations of the school.

 
Absences

Students will be marked absent by teachers even if they are aware the student has an excused absence. If the student is away for a school activity, the Handsworth sponsor teacher should inform the main office of the absence. For a non-school activity, parents/guardians must contact the main office.  School Connects will call and email parents/guardians to inform them of any unexcused absences. Please ensure that you have an updated email address and home phone number and notify the Handsworth office of any changes.

Early Dismissal

When students must miss a class during the day for such things as a doctor appointment, orthodontic appointment etc. parents/guardians must inform the Main Office by a phone call or written note. Only parents or legal guardians can call to excuse a student. We do not accept attendance calls from students. Please ensure that you speak clearly, spell the last name of the student, first name,  grade and the specific times they will be leaving and returning to school. Please ensure that notes are shown to the teacher then brought to the main office. The early dismissal or absence will then be noted in MYED. When a student arrives back at school they should go directly to class unless they are later than originally reported. For students who have an early dismissal for a school-based activity, their name should be submitted by their teacher sponsor to the Main Office, and these early dismissals will appear in MYED and there is no need for a parent to also call.

Student Drop Off and Pick Up


Handsworth Secondary strongly encourages students to walk, ride or take transit to school. If you must drop-off your child, please do so before 9:00 am.  Handsworth and Edgewood Roads experience considerable congestion during drop off and pick up, which has led to safety issues in the front and the back of the school.

In addition, dropping off your child just before 9:10 causes your child to be late for class which disrupts teachers' lessons and interferes with other students’ education. Classes start at 9:10 a.m. and we expect that all students will be sitting in class before the 9:10 bell sounds.

A reminder that our parking lots are designed for one-way traffic movement only.

When travel by car is necessary, we ask parents to make use of designated drop off areas located on the north side of the building, To ensure flow, please do not stop in the middle of the parking lot, corsswalk or on the street for drop off.​

Note: the West parking lot is NOT a student pick up or drop off zone. We want to ensure this lot is available and SAFE for students and visitors with accessibility needs. 

Please ensure only those cars with a wheelchair decal are using our accessible parking spots. We have a number of students and families who require the use of these spots for drop off and pick up.