Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Feelings of worth can flourish only in an atmosphere where individual differences are appreciated, mistakes are tolerated, communication is open, and rules are flexible - the kind of atmosphere that is found in a nurturing family.

Virginia Satir

Here are answers to some of the more frequently asked questions encountered on a daily basis. They have been categorized for your convenience.

Topics

• Attendance/Missed Work/Hospitalization
• Academics
• Personal Issues
• Registration/Transfer

Attendance Issues / Missed Work / Hospitalization

1. Where do I turn in my child's Dr.'s excuse for missed school? Please turn in all excuses to the LHS Attendance Office, 521-7988. Excuses should be turned in within five (5) days of returning to school.
2. My child was marked absent, but they were present at school. Who should I call? Call the LHS Attendance office at 521-7988. Your child may need to see the teacher who marked them absent to confirm that they did attend class that day.
3. How does my child make up missed work? Your child will need to speak to each teacher to request make up work within five (5) days of returning to school. It is the student's responsibility to initiate this process. It is not the teacher's responsibility to inform the student of work he or she may have missed while absent unless asked by the student directly. If the student does not request makeup work within the allotted five days, they may not be able to earn credit for those assignments. This includes any missed exams.
4. My child will be out of school for LESS  than two weeks due to a hospital stay or surgery. What should I do? Contact the LHS Attendance Office at 521-7988 so that teachers can be notified and homework/assignments can be collected in the Main Office.
5. My child will be out of school for MORE than two weeks due to accident, hospitalization, health condition, etc. What should I do? For absences that will extend beyond two weeks, we recommend that parents click here to download and print the Homebound application. The Homebound program allows for teachers to visit your child at home so that they don't get behind in school. Students who do not go into the Homebound program are responsible for ALL MISSED WORK while they were absent.
6. Who should I contact to get books for my Homebound student? Call the LHS Main Office at 521-7980 to leave a message for your child's teachers to assign a book. These books will be left by teachers in the Main Office.

Academic Issues

1. My child is having difficulty in a class. Who should I call? Call the LHS Main Office at 521-7980 to leave a message for your child's teacher or send them an email. The teacher is the first and best resource for getting help in a class. At least 95% of all difficulties can be resolved by speaking with your child's teacher. If you have already spoken with the teacher and your child is still experiencing difficulties, please look over the different types of Academic Assistance that we offer to help your child succeed. If you have spoken with your child's teacher and your child has gone to tutoring and is still unsuccessful, come to the Counseling Office so that we can determine if something of a more serious nature is involved.
2. What assistance is available for my child? Do you offer tutoring? We offer many programs to help LHS students succeed, including free tutoring. Please visit our Academic Assistance page to see what services and programs are available.
3. Where can I find a listing of Course Offerings at LHS? Click Here

Personal Issues

1. My child doesn't seem to have many friends or has trouble fitting in. What can we do? LHS is so large that we have groups, clubs, and organizations for almost anyone! Click here to return to the LHS Main Website to see a listing of all of the clubs established here at LHS. Our clubs are always welcoming new members, and becoming part of a club or organization is one of the easiest ways for people to make friends. Of course, you can always call the Counseling Office. We'll be glad to meet with your child to discuss his/her concerns, anxieties, etc.
2. I have some personal concerns that I need to share with someone at the school. Who should I call? Please call the Counseling Office at 521-7984. A counselor will be glad to meet with you to discuss your concerns. We will also inform teachers regarding your child's situation, if necessary.
3. I would like to request counseling/therapy for my child. Who should I contact? Please call the Counseling Office at 521-7984.  School counselors can provide limited, short-term counseling services. We can also give you a list of outside counsleling sevices that might benefit you and/or your child.  LHS also has a school social worker. A referrall could possibly be made to the school based social worker for additional support at school. 

Registration / Transfer Issues

1. I need to register my child to attend Lafayette High. What do I need and where should I go?
   1. We cannot enroll you at LHS without a completed withdrawal form from your previous school.
   2. Collect the following documents from your child's previous school or your own records:
      1. A copy of the two most CURRENT gas, electric, or water bills that are in the name of the parent with whom your child is living. This utility service must be for a location within LHS's school zone.
      2. Withdrawal Form from previous school (including any grades in-progress)
      3. Last Report Card
      4. Current Transcript including letter grades and/or grading scale
      5. LEAP results (for incoming freshmen from Louisiana middle schools)
      6. Immunization/Shot Records
      7. Social Security Card
      8. Birth Certificate
      9. Legal Custody Papers (if applicable) - [Please Note: Legal custody papers MUST be signed by a judge with a docket number assigned. Lafayette Parish does not accept letters from lawyers, notaries, "Custody by Mandate", or any other similar process for determining custody.]
      10. Discipline and Expulsion records.
   3. Bring ALL documents listed in item #2 above to the Counseling Office at Lafayette High school. We will make copies of all originals before returning them to you. Please note that ANY missing documents may result in: delayed registration, being scheduled for the wrong classes, delayed report cards/grades, etc.
   4. While in the Counseling Office, you will be asked to complete the Lafayette Parish Registration Packet. If you would like, you can print out the Registration Packet and then bring the completed form with you when you come to register your child.  You can also complete the online registration through our online registration portal here. 
   5. Provide accurate contact information so that we can let you know when we are ready for your child to begin classes. (Due to volume of students, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to schedule your child on the same day that you register. We will make every effort to have a schedule ready for your child as soon as possible to keep time out of school to a minimum.)
2. I am transferring to another school. What do I need to do?
   1. Collect all textbooks that have been assigned in your classes.
   2. Bring those books to the Counseling Office. We will tell you which books should be brought to the library to return and which will need to be brought to your actual teacher.
   3. You will bring a Withdrawal Form around to all of your teachers for them to sign, confirming both your current grade in the class and that you don't owe any unpaid fees.
   4. You will also bring the Withdrawal Form for signatures in the Library and Cafeteria.
   5. Return the completed Withdrawal Form to the Counseling Office.
   6. We will provide you with an Exit Packet of materials, which will include a copy of the Withdrawal Form for you to bring with you to your new school.