Overview

The Add Absences feature allows administrators to record planned or known student absences before teachers take attendance. This is particularly useful when the school has received advance notification that a student will be absent due to medical appointments, family emergencies, approved leave, school activities, or other valid reasons.

When an absence is recorded in advance, teachers can view the attendance information while taking attendance for their course sections, helping ensure attendance records remain accurate and consistent across the school.

When to Use Add Absences

Use this feature when the school already knows that one or more students will be absent for one or multiple days.

Common scenarios include:

• Medical leave
• Doctor-approved absence
• Family emergency
• Religious observance
• Educational trips
• School-approved activities
• Extended leave approved by the administration

Example

A parent informs the school that a student will undergo surgery and will be absent for the next five school days. An administrator can record the absence in advance so teachers immediately see the student's attendance status when taking attendance.

Access the Add Absences Page

1. Log in to openSIS with administrative privileges.
2. Navigate to Attendance.
3. Select Add Absences.

The Add Absences page allows administrators to configure the absence details before selecting the affected students.

Configure the Absence Details

Complete the required information before assigning the absence to students.

Course Section

Select the course section for which the absence should be recorded.

Attendance Category

Choose the appropriate attendance category according to your school's attendance policies.

Attendance Code

Select the attendance code that best represents the student's absence.

Examples may include:

• Absent
• Excused Absence
• Unexcused Absence
• Medical Leave

The available attendance codes depend on your school's attendance configuration.

Absence Reason

Enter a brief explanation describing why the student will be absent.

For example:

• Medical appointment
• Family emergency
• School competition
• Personal leave

Providing a reason helps maintain complete attendance records.

Absence Dates

Select the date or date range during which the absence should apply.

The system records the selected attendance code for the specified dates.

Select Students

After configuring the absence information, select the students who should receive the attendance record.

You can:

• Select individual students.
• Select multiple students.
• Use the Search box to quickly locate students.
• Use Advanced Search to narrow the student list.

This allows administrators to efficiently record absences for one student or an entire group.

Save the Absence

After reviewing the information:

1. Verify the attendance details.
2. Confirm the selected students.
3. Save the absence.

The attendance records are created for the selected dates.

How Teachers Use These Records

When teachers open their attendance screens for the affected dates, they can view the attendance status already recorded by the administrator.

Teachers can also review any comments or absence information entered by the administrator before completing attendance for the class.

This helps maintain consistency between administrative records and classroom attendance.

Best Practices

• Record planned absences as soon as the school receives official notification.
• Use the appropriate attendance category and attendance code.
• Include meaningful absence reasons whenever possible.
• Verify the selected dates before saving.
• Review attendance records if a student's return date changes.
• Use this feature only for confirmed absences supported by school policy or documentation.