CPS handbooks tackle attendance, phone concerns

By Mike Berger

Canton School Committee members and Superintendent Derek Folan were pleased with the first draft of new student handbooks presented by building principals at their meeting last Thursday, August 11. Among the notable changes were tougher policies around absenteeism and tardiness as well as a crackdown on use of electronic devices at the Galvin Middle School.

At various points last year, both Folan and School Committee member Maureen Moran had discussed the need to tighten up several areas of the student Code of Conduct, with Folan in particular acknowledging the difficult adjustment that students faced in returning to full in-person learning following the COVID-19 pandemic.

All of the draft handbooks have been posted under the August 11 meeting materials link on the School Committee home page. It is expected that the committee will vote to adopt the handbooks at its next meeting on August 25.

CHS Principal Jeff Sperling kicked off the presentation of handbooks and spent a considerable amount of time discussing proposed new absence limits (eight per term for classes that meet six days in a cycle and four per term for classes that meet three days per cycle).

“The Canton High school administration and faculty recognize that students will miss school because of illness, medical appointments, bereavement, and noteworthy family commitments,” Sperling wrote. “The purpose of the absence limit is to account for these types of absences.”

Absences that would be considered excused and not count toward the per-term limits include observances of religious holidays; participation in school-sponsored activities; pre-approved future planning visits; and any other absence excused by the administration, nursing or counseling faculty.

What would count toward the absence limits, however, are instances where a student misses 15 minutes or more of any class without the teacher’s permission. Students who skip a class or miss more than 15 minutes without permission will also be subject to consequences in accordance with the Code of Conduct.

At the Galvin Middle School, new Principal Jonathan Mulhern and Dean of Students Karim Gibson have proposed a new policy regarding excessive absenteeism. Under this policy, families would be contacted after a student misses five school days, and if the absences are not related to a child’s health, a meeting with the administration and home school interventionist will be offered. If the child’s attendance does not improve, then the school is required to notify the state Department of Children and Families and/or file a “Child Requiring Assistance” form with the Dedham Family Court.

In all of the school handbooks, there are requirements for parents to notify the school about any absences before the school day begins.

Another notable policy included in the draft GMS handbook requires students to turn off all personal electronic devices between the hours of 7:45 a.m. and 2:15 p.m., and the devices are expected to remain in the student’s locker or backpack during that time. Students who use a cell phone or personal electronic device without permission will receive a warning for a first offense and an after-school detention for a second offense. After a third offense, the student would be required to bring their device to the office each morning for a period of up to two weeks …

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