Secondary Attendance Emails

In April 2026, the Ontario Ministry of Education introduced Bill 101, the Putting Student Achievement First Act, 2026, which includes a number of reforms. Among those changes is a new policy aimed at reducing student absenteeism.

As a result, school boards are now required to follow a new procedure for reporting absences.

Please follow these steps to ensure your child's absence is excused:

Step 1: Report the absence

Report your child's absence using one of the following methods:

a) Edsby
b) A written note
c) Calling the school

This will result in your child being marked "absent."

Step 2: Request that the absence be excused

Going forward, you must also have your child's absence excused by the school Principal so that it does not impact their final mark. Under the Education Act, the Principal may excuse a student's absence for approved reasons.

To request this, do one of the following:

a) If you reported the absence through Edsby, also email your school's attendance email address. You can do this by emailing:

b) Submit a written, signed note to the school.

c) If you reported the absence by phone, leave a detailed voicemail.

Please include all necessary information in the email, note, or voicemail: the student's full name, the date and time period of the absence, and the specific reason for it.

Note: Comments left in Edsby's comment box will not be accepted as a request for a Principal-excused absence.

Step 2 (a, b, or c) must be completed within 48 hours of the absence. Requests received after this window will not be considered; the absence will not be excused, and your child's final mark may be affected.

Please follow this procedure every time you report an absence, to avoid any impact on your child's final mark.