School Hours for HVMS are as follows:
Monday- Thursday 8:00 am - 3:00 pm
Friday 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
*All alternate Bell Schedules will be sent to parents/guardians via ParentSquare
ATTENDANCE
Utah law requires that students attend school every day, every period, except when a parent excuses an absence for a legitimate reason. HVMS will begin truancy tracking procedures once a student has missed 10 school days or 80 class periods. Parents shall contact the attendance office within two weeks and notify the school of their student’s absence. After ten days, the absence will remain unexcused. Parents are encouraged to send a note or call the school in order to acknowledge that they are aware of the student’s absence. Parents may also use Skyward to submit a request to excuse student absences (within ten days of an absence) and/or a check out request (parents will still need to physically come into the Attendance office and show ID). The student must make up all missed work according to the school’s make-up policy.
Checking in/out: If a student arrives less than 10 minutes late to school, they must go directly to class and will be marked tardy. If a student arrives more than 10 minutes late to school, they must check-in at the attendance office. If it becomes necessary for a student to leave school for any reason during the school day, they must sign out through the attendance office. A parent or person listed as an emergency contact on Skyward must come into the attendance office and show a picture ID in order to check the student out. Students are not allowed to check out solely with a note or phone call from a parent. Students should only leave school grounds with a parent/guardian after being checked out through the Attendance Office. Students who leave school grounds without being checked out are considered truant ("sluffing").
Educational Leave: Students may apply for up to 10 days of educational leave per school year. The parent should contact the attendance office at least three school days before taking leave, pick up an Educational Leave Form, and return the form to the attendance office before leaving on vacation. It is the student’s responsibility to obtain and make up work missed during educational leave.
Home and Hospital: If a doctor writes an order for the student to be out of school for over 10 school days, the parent needs to contact the attendance office to arrange for home-and-hospital teaching services. The doctor’s note must contain a diagnosis, a treatment plan, and a return-to-school date. The note must be provided to the attendance office before home-and-hospital instruction can begin.
Tardiness: HVMS follows a school-wide tardy policy. All teachers use the same definition for tardy: You are tardy if you are not in class and ready to work when the bell rings. Parents can only excuse a tardy to the first period which can be done by contacting the attendance office or providing a note upon check-in. Repeated tardiness also negatively affects your citizenship. School consequences can be given for excessive tardiness.
Truancy/"Sluffing": JSD policy AA432 defines truancy as a condition in which a school-aged child, without valid excuse is absent for at least half the school day.
At Hidden Valley Middle, truancy is used synonymously for “sluffing”. "Sluffing" is defined as not being in class when you should be. The best place for all students to be is in class every period. School consequences can be given for truancy/"sluffing".
Truancy/"sluffing" can mean any of the following:
- Leave school without checking out through the attendance office (parents need to physically come into the Attendance office and show ID)
- Leave school without parent permission
- Arrive at school but do not attend one or more classes
- Obtain permission to go to a certain place in the school but do not report there
- Stay home without parents’ knowledge
- Leave class without permission
- Arrive to class more than 10 minutes late or leave class early without teacher permission
Withdrawal from School: When students move outside the school boundaries, they need to withdraw from HVMS. This process includes obtaining a withdrawal sheet from the attendance office, receiving clearance from each teacher, returning all textbooks, cleaning out lockers, and paying any fines. Failure to complete all of these steps may result in delay or denial of credit.