Student Handbook

Gulf Islands Secondary School Student Expectations

Attendance

Research shows that regular attendance has a direct positive impact on student engagement and achievement. At Gulf Islands Secondary School, while students are primarily responsible for their attendance, it is also encouraged and supported by parents/guardians and school staff. The purpose of these expectations is to promote regular attendance, enabling students to achieve success throughout their secondary years.

We maintain high expectations for attendance because being present, engaged, and actively participating in learning is crucial for success. Our school designs lessons, units, and activities to be collaborative and in person, building on each day’s learning. Each student plays a vital role in their own and their peers’ learning experience.

Attendance Monitoring Procedures

Student attendance is recorded daily by classroom teachers. If no prior notification is provided to the office, parents/guardians will receive an email at approximately 5:00 PM on the day their child is marked absent.

Parents who have not notified the school beforehand should respond to the absentee email upon receipt. Details on how to report excused and parent-authorized absences are outlined below.

Lates and Departures

Teachers are asked to mark a student Late if they arrive to class up to 30 minutes late. If they arrive after 30 minutes, they are to be marked Absent. Students with parent-excused reasons for being late beyond the 30-minute limit (or excused late for any length of time) may have this Absent changed to Late (Excused) by connecting with the office.

Students who leave part-way through a class will be marked Departed. If a parent excuses a student for leaving class early with the office, this can be changed to Departed (Excused).

Student Absenteeism Reporting

Parents/guardians are responsible for informing the school of a student’s absence by submitting a report through the online absence reporting form on the Gulf Islands Secondary School website, or by contacting the office.

Absences Defined

Excused Absences

Authorized by the school. These include absences due to:

• Illness, including documented acute or chronic medical conditions or specialist appointments
• Verifiable religious observances
• Death in the immediate family
• Participation in an educational opportunity or special activity deemed appropriate by school leadership
• Legal obligations

Parent-Authorized Absences

Absences endorsed by the parent, such as family holidays or days off. These are not considered excused absences by the school.

Unexcused Absences

Absences that occur when a student misses class without authorization from the parent or the school.

Family Holidays

Missing school for family holidays negatively impacts learning. We strongly encourage families to plan vacations during regular school breaks. If a holiday is scheduled during school time, parents and students should communicate proactively with teachers in advance.

For planned absences of four or more days, students must complete a Planned Absence Form, available from Kaz Lundgren in the GISS Office. This form ensures that teachers are informed of the absence and any learning responsibilities the student will need to address during their time away. Teachers may, at their discretion, provide guidance on alternative learning plans.

Completion of Missed Assignments

When a student is absent, they miss key classroom experiences such as explanations, discussions, feedback, and group activities. It is the student’s responsibility to obtain information on missed work and to discuss with the teacher how to make up for the absence. Students are expected to complete missed assignments promptly and honour their commitment to their courses.

Dropping or Changing Courses

Students can discuss course changes with their counsellor within the first week of each semester. If a Grade 12 student wishes to drop a course after the first week, the following procedure is required:

1. The parent(s) should be involved in and in agreement with the decision as the first step.
2. The student should then discuss dropping the course with their teacher, and then with their counsellor.
3. In cases of questionable reasons, or if the request comes later in the semester, the student must meet with the Principal to have the request approved.

• Students may only withdraw without penalty (receiving a W for Withdraw as a final mark) up until Midterm Reports. After Midterm Reports, any student withdrawn will receive a failing mark as their final mark.

Students in Grades 8–11 are required to have full timetables (8 blocks). Any changes to their timetable will be based on discussions between the student, parents, and school counsellors.

Online Learning Courses

Students may enrol in an online course, outside of their regular GISS courses, at their discretion.

A limited number of students may have an Online Learning support block scheduled into their timetable. A meeting with the school counsellor, along with parental and administrative approval, must be completed before registration in the online course.

Academic Support Blocks

Grade 12 students may speak with their counsellor to request an academic support block. The purpose of a study block is to allow graduating students time to work on their coursework in the school library. This will only be available to Grade 12 students who have three academic classes in one semester, are demonstrated independent and self-directed learners, are in good academic standing, and are meeting all graduation requirements. Grade 8 to 11 students are not permitted to have an academic support block within their timetable.

Individual Education Plan Support Blocks

For a small number of students, IEP Support Blocks may be available. These blocks are also for independent, self-directed learners, and are a support described in the student’s IEP.