secretary and absences

scuba nurse, BSN, MSN, RN · Nov 16, 2017

WAIT a MINUTE!!! You guys actually get parents THAT CALL THEIR CHILDREN in sick?? What is that like?? LOL :snurse:

No parents ever call in my district, they just don't show. I had to call my diabetic this morning to find out if he was coming to school, was he late or just not coming.

Otherwise, reason for absence are not list on the attendance sheet. Just "A" for absent, "T" for tardy, and "E" excused, or "S" suspended.

AdobeRN · Nov 16, 2017

WAIT a MINUTE!!! You guys actually get parents THAT CALL THEIR CHILDREN in sick?? What is that like?? LOL
No parents ever call in my district, they just don't show. I had to call my diabetic this morning to find out if he was coming to school, was he late or just not coming.
Otherwise, reason for absence are not list on the attendance sheet. Just "A" for absent, "T" for tardy, and "E" excused, or "S" suspended.

No for the most part the data clerk will call and/or email the parent to find out the reason and to remind them to send in doctors note or something in writing as to why the student was absent. This year our principal even has the teachers involved in this - after a certain number of tardies the teacher is also expected to notify the parents.

schoolrn917 · Nov 17, 2017

My secretary marks an A for Absence, U for unexcused, L for Late, ED for Early Dismissal. We have a book that she and I are privy too that gives the reason for Absence (strep, pink eye etc) Nobody else sees it. If there is a highly contagious ailment I notify the teacher or teachers involved and a notice is sent home to class (all anonymous). Custodians are also alerted. I also keep an illness log in my office.

Elementary school, I don't have older kids that change periods.

aprilmoss · Nov 17, 2017

We don't put anything but names on our list. When the students return they have a slip they pass to each teacher that indicates whether it was an excused absence or not (without details).

MrNurse(x2), ADN · Nov 21, 2017

We have an excel sheet that gets emailed with names only. I have asked our secretary to keep me informed, but that doesn't happen. I used to do it, mostly because I wanted to track illnesses, but my wife would kill me if she had to do it, as she is about half time this year. I am truly happy not to deal with it.

halohg, RN · Nov 22, 2017

I personally like it when our data clerk puts in the whatever is wrong with the kids - Elementary school here...she will use ill, fever, strep, Flu, pneumonia, lice, pink eye etc. I find nothing wrong with it - I have no idea if individual teachers can see the list or if they can only see their own class.
Our health department has us help track "influenza like illnesses" & the Flu - we have to send in a weekly report of numbers of ILI/flu for our school. With the data clerk recording her info this way helps me give the proper info to the Health dept. I also like it so I can run classroom, grade etc reports to see if are having unusual amounts of whatever the illness is for the week - I can then communicate to the teachers - "hey, remind students to wash hands more often, use kleenex, blah blah blah because you have a high number of strep, flu, pink eye etc etc reports from your class"

I was trained that a parental report cannot be used in place of a medical report. So we are not reporting unless a diagnosis comes from a medical provider. All too often a parent will call an illness the flu, or call fever, strep.

I agree that I find the parental report useful in identifying trends and assisting in asking custodial assistance with know areas of the school that seem to need a sterilization cleaning. On the flip side when the teacher knows the reason why, health office visits increase for that class to rule out the same condition. Most individuals will use the information for good, some will use it to create chaos. Know your circus know your monkeys.