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Student and Parent Handbook » School Policies

School Policies

Regular attendance at school is an integral factor in a student’s ability to learn and provides the student with valuable opportunities that can best be utilized when a student is engaged in school. The student’s educational experience is further enhanced by purposely participating in the discussion and interaction with teachers and fellow students through the school setting, particularly in the classroom.

The school is responsible for a student when the school day is in session, including delay starts and an early or late dismissal. The school office must be able to locate a student any time during the school day. Mandatory school attendance is a requirement of state and federal legislation. Indiana legislature has set a 95% benchmark for a school’s minimum attendance rate and mandates that every student enrolled in Concordia must be in attendance unless he/she is ill or there is a death in the immediate family. As a means of emphasizing the importance of school attendance, a student who violates the attendance policy may receive one or more of the following consequences: in-house school discipline, grade reduction, out of school suspension, loss of course credit, referral to the Prosecutor’s Office, or expulsion from school. Parents may view their student’s attendance record via FACTS Family Portal. (Concordia's FACTS District Code: CON-IN)

  1. ABSENCES – Parents (or legal guardians) are expected to notify the school by phone (260) 471-1996 or email ([email protected]) by 9:15 a.m. each day their student is absent. The call must include the following information: the student’s name, the date(s) of the absence, the reason for the absence, and the identity of the parent making the call. A student is marked absent from a period when they have missed more than 10 minutes of the class period.
  2. DOCUMENTED ABSENCES – Documented absences are issued for the following reasons: death in the immediate family, illness verified by a note from a doctor, prior planned absence through the Dean of Student Success’ office, College Visit, and emergency reasons cleared through the Dean of Student Success. Doctor’s appointments are excused upon receipt of a note from the Doctor’s office. The student has the responsibility for all makeup work. All of these absences must have documentation associated with them. A student who misses more than four (4) days excused by a doctor will be required to provide a Certificate of Child’s Incapacity which must be filled out by the student’s doctor. Otherwise, any doctor’s excused days after four (4) days will be considered unexcused.
  3. UNDOCUMENTED ABSENCE – Undocumented absences are issued for the following reasons: oversleeping, vacation, missing the bus or ride, conducting any kind of business that could be taken care of outside of school hours, staying home to study, working at a job, truancy, sick without proper documentation, or any other reason deemed unexcused by the Dean of Student Success. A student who receives an undocumented absence may not receive credit for work missed or the opportunity to make up tests or assignments.
  4. PLANNED ABSENCE (VACATION, FAMILY, COLLEGE VISITS) – Attendance at school is important and valuable for the student's success, learning, and participation in our school community.  Vacations during school time should be avoided. Students who take a vacation or college visit during school time must have their parent call or email the Dean of Student Success at least one week in advance.  The student will receive a planned absence form that must be signed by each teacher one week in advance and returned to Student Services. This gives the teachers a chance to give assignments and make requirements in advance as well as the opportunity to communicate any concerns they feel the absence could create. The student is expected to complete the work missed before the planned absence.  This policy prevents an overwhelming amount of makeup work for the student upon their return to school. It is the student’s responsibility to obtain and makeup all missed work.
  5. LATE ARRIVAL/EARLY DISMISSAL – Whenever a student arrives late or leaves early during the school day, they must sign in/out at Student Services. In every case, s/he must either present a note from home or have a parent contact the Dean of Student Success or the Student Success Assistant. See #9 below (Tardies for Period 1 & 2 classes) for further details.
  6. ILLNESS – In case of illness during the school day, the student must report to the nurse's office. Our goal is to help your child minimize the instructional time he/she may miss because of an illness. Students may stay in the clinic to help recover and return back to class. PLEASE ENCOURAGE YOUR CHILD TO SEE THE NURSE WHEN THEY ARE ILL AT SCHOOL. The nurse can help determine the seriousness of your child’s illness and will be in contact with the parents. If your child is ill, they will be asked to go home. Students may return to school when they have been fever free for 24 hrs. When the student is in the clinic or is sent home by the nurse, this is considered an excused (documented) absence from class.
  7. EXCESSIVE ABSENCE – Regular attendance is expected of all CLHS students. Regular school attendance is mandated by state and federal laws. Excessive absence is a problem that can lead to the student being recommended to the Principal for removal from class or school with loss of credit. Excessive absence is defined as missing 10% or more of scheduled class periods or school days during a semester and/or school year, irregardless if the absences are Documented or Undocumented. Parents will receive notifications when their students hits 5 and 9 days of absences. The Dean of Student Success may report the excessive attendance to the appropriate Allen County and State of Indiana authorities, SOCAP, and the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Choice Scholarship funds that a student/family receives from the State of Indiana may be redacted due to excessive absences.
  8. TRUANCY – Truancy is any absence from school when the absence is initiated by the student without parental knowledge. If a student cuts class (has not left the building and is absent from a portion of one or more classes/lunch without permission of the school), detention and service hours will be assigned. The truancy policy is enforced by the Dean of Student Success according to the following guidelines and covers all instances of truancy during the school year: 
    1. 1st truancy - The absence is an Undocumented (unexcused absence), the parent is contacted and the student is assigned detention and service hours as determined by the Dean of Student Success. 
    2. 2nd truancy - The absence is Undocumented (unexcused absence), the parent is contacted and the student serves an in-school suspension (ISS). 
    3. 3rd truancy - The absence is Undocumented (unexcused absence), the parent is contacted, the student serves a two day out of school suspension, and a conference is held with the Dean of Student Success, student and parents to determine the terms of an attendance probation. Failure to abide by the terms of the probation results in the student being referred to the Principal for expulsion. 
  9. TARDIES – Students who enter the classroom after the bell are considered tardy.  Students who arrive less than 10 minutes after the bell will be marked tardy by the classroom teacher or directed to the Student Success Center to obtain a tardy pass to return to class.  Students who arrive more than 10 minutes after the bell will be marked as an undocumented absence (See “Absences” above).

Excessive Tardies

For the 1st Class at the start the school day (Period 1 A, C, E days / Period 2 B, D days) are considered AM tardies: Students are permitted a total of three (3) tardies per quarter. More than three AM tardies in the quarter will result in the following consequences:

  • On the fourth (4) and fifth (5) tardy, the student will be assigned a one-hour detention after school. Students who fail to show up for their one hour detention may be assigned additional detentions or ISS.
  • On the sixth (6) tardy the student will serve an ISS.
  • Students who exceed seven (7) tardies in a quarter may lose credit for the class and are subject to additional disciplinary consequences including the loss of on campus parking privileges.

 

Tardies for other blocks during the day (Periods 3-8):  Students are permitted three (3) total tardies per nine-week grading period/quarter. 

  • On the fourth (4) and fifth (5) tardy, the student will be assigned a one-hour detention after school. Students who fail to show up for their one hour detention may be assigned additional detentions or in-school suspension (ISS).
  • On the sixth (6) tardy the student will serve an ISS.
  • Students who exceed seven (7) tardies in a quarter may lose credit for the class and are subject to additional disciplinary consequences including the loss of on campus parking privileges.

  1. ANTHIS CAREER CENTER – Students who attend classes at the Anthis Career Center are to follow   the calendars of both schools unless notified otherwise. Students attending afternoon Anthis classes must attend CLHS classes during special schedules until 11:30 a.m. The goal is to reduce the interruptions to the school day as much as possible. If a school-sponsored interruption is necessary, the Student Services office of the appropriate school must be informed by a parental note or phone call at least two days in advance.
  2. STUDENT STATUS – All students are expected to live with their parent(s) or legal guardian(s) while in attendance at Concordia. Emancipated students or students living with someone other than a parent or legal guardian may not be eligible to attend Concordia. A change in status must be reported immediately to the office of Student Services. Proof of guardianship (or power of attorney) must be on file for those students not living with their parents. 
  3. PART-TIME STUDENT POLICY – Students from a homeschool environment may take up to 3 periods of instruction at Concordia Lutheran High School. This must include a religion class. Enrollment is with the approval of the admissions committee. These students are allowed to attend all school activities and to participate in activities which are open to all students. Only full-time students may participate in activities which are based on tryouts, auditions, or elections. Athletic participation is governed by IHSAA rules which state that a student must be enrolled in and passing six full credit classes to be eligible.

As a Christian school, Concordia establishes policies and regulations that enable students to grow in their relationship with Jesus as well as receive a quality education within the framework of the Gospel. This framework operates through a process of admonition, repentance, forgiveness, and the desire to live as a child of God. Without good discipline, the school cannot discharge its obligation in the development of responsibility and citizenship. 


The school has developed a code of conduct which is positive in nature and which it strives to apply in a fair, firm, and reasonable manner. Whenever appropriate, corrective, rather than punitive, action is taken. Self-discipline and self-motivation are the ultimate objectives. Students and parents should read this handbook outlining rules and regulations to which they are subject. They have the responsibility to know, respect and follow these guidelines. The model for student behavior at Concordia is based on respect and consideration for the rights of others. 

No behavior is tolerated which detracts from the goal to make Christ the center of our lives, disrupts the work of the school, or interferes with the rights of others. Concordia has the right to reprimand, suspend, or expel a student whose attitude or behavior is not in accordance with Concordia’s philosophy and policies. 

Concordia highly values and encourages a student’s participation in our co-curricular programs. Concordia’s co-curricular program includes athletics, fine arts, clubs, and student activities that occur complementarity and as an extension of a student’s academic program at Concordia. To represent Concordia in any co-curricular activity, a student must be in good standing both academically and behaviorally. 

Every Concordia student and employee is given a school email address with access to digital files and storage to be used for school and professional communication. Students are required to provide their own laptop learning device while attending CLHS. Please see CLHS One-to-One Technology for details. Upon graduation, transfer or withdrawal from Concordia, the student's CLHS email account and access to their digital files under the CLHS account will be closed. 

 

What is posted, texted, or messaged online inside or outside of school, may result in disruption to normal school operations and/or detrimentally impact a fellow student or staff member, the school and the school’s reputation. The school administration reserves the right to discipline students and pursue legal or civil avenues for on-campus and/or off-campus internet use that disrupts the learning environment or is contrary to Christian philosophy.  

The school does not intend to police websites, blogs, text messages, emails, or social networking sites outside of school. However, if the information is brought to our attention by students, parents, or other individuals we reserve the right to address the behavior with school policies as well as civil law. A list of prohibited internet behaviors includes, but is not limited to: threats, conspiring to commit violence, intimidation, humiliation, bullying, cyberbullying, harassment, sexting, impersonation, mocking, endangering the safety of others, unauthorized use of names, logos, images, videos, and knowingly posting false information. Postings to such sites need not be recent to be considered inappropriate or warrant action on the part of the school. If negative behavior on those sites creates a threatening or damaging situation between students at school, the administrators will respond to the disruption. The administration will follow up with the students involved and their parents/guardians. Consequences for creating that disruption may include detention, suspension, or expulsion. Students are encouraged to take these steps immediately if they are the victim of a cyberbullying incident:

  • Do not respond to and do not forward cyberbullying messages.
  • Keep evidence of cyberbullying. Record the dates, times, and descriptions of instances when cyberbullying has occurred. Save and print screenshots, emails, and text messages. This evidence is valuable when reporting cyberbullying to school, police, web and/or cell phone service providers.
  • Block the person who is cyberbullying.

Students and Parents of Concordia Lutheran High School may further report incidents of bullying and cyberbullying to law enforcement when the incident occurs off of school grounds and includes any of the following crimes: Threats of violence, Child pornography or sending sexually explicit messages or photos, Taking a photo or video of someone in a place where he or she would expect privacy, and/or, stalking and hate crimes. Further guidance for parents and students is found at: https://www.stopbullying.gov/cyberbullying/how-to-report/index.html

It is the responsibility of the Concordia Lutheran High School to provide a safe, supportive, and culturally responsive school environment for all students. Concordia acknowledges that all students have the right to be protected and ensure that school personnel are able to recognize and report students at risk of suicide. Concordia faculty and staff who work directly with students of the school receive training and certification in suicide prevention and awareness of suicidal tendencies which comply with Indiana legislature requirements. Concordia’s Suicide Awareness and Prevention Policy is available upon request to the Principal’s office.