ATTEND - ENGAGE - EXCEL

Old Saybrook Public Schools envisions learners who excel both inside and outside the classroom, fully engage in school and the broader community, and strive to achieve their highest aspirations. To realize this vision, it is essential that students are present in class and actively engaged in the learning process while building positive relationships. This attendance regulation reflects the belief that students learn best when they are present with our staff and peers.

Please see the Policies section of this handbook for the district attendance policy or go to www.oldsaybrookschools.org.

The Connecticut Legislature has passed legislation defining truancy as a student with four (4) unexcused absences in one (1) month or ten (10) unexcused absences in a year while a student with eighteen (18) unexcused absences in a school year will be considered chronically absent. 

The State Board of Education definitions establish two levels of criteria for an absence to be considered an excused absence (see table below).

If a student accumulates six absences, excused and/or unexcused, a notification letter is sent home.  If a student accumulates 13 absences, excused and/or unexcused, our Student Intervention Team will hold an Attendance Board Meeting to support families of students with frequent school absences.  

Absence or Tardy – Reporting Attendance

Whenever a student is late or absent from school, his or her parent or guardian is required to report the tardy or absence via the ParentPortal of PowerSchool. Directions to use the attendance portal can be found here. Alternatively, parents can email oshsoffice@oldsaybrookschools.org to notify the school of an absence or tardy, or to provide documentation related to an absence or tardy. 

Upon review of daily student attendance, the attendance secretary calls home to verify absences when a parent or guardian does not submit an absence either on the ParentPortal or by email. If the parent cannot contact the school on the day of the absence, the student will be required to bring a note from the parent to the school office within twenty-four hours of their return to school.  If a note, email, or nurse verification is not received, the absence is considered unexcused.  Students and parents are strongly encouraged to keep a record of dates of absences from class(es) and the reasons.  Doctor's notes are encouraged when a student is absent from school due to illness.   

Attendance Requirements for Course Credit at Old Saybrook High School

Credit withheld due to absences is determined by the total number of absences (excused and unexcused) specific to each individual course. Students will receive a warning letter before they reach the extent of their allowable absences per course:

Sixteen (16) Total Absences for a full year course
Eight (8) Total Absences for a semester course

If students have exceeded the number of absences permitted, they will receive notification stating the credit is being withheld in that particular course. Students who receive such notification are required to continue attending the class and will receive a grade in the course.  

Every fifth unexcused tardy to a class is equivalent to an absence and will be counted towards the credit withheld regulation.  

Students may appeal the credit withheld decision by completing the Credit Withheld Appeal form and should submit it to the Associate Principal in a timely manner. Appeals are reviewed periodically throughout the school year by members of the Student Intervention Team which includes teachers of the impacted courses. A student and/or parents may be requested to speak with the Appeal Team. The Principal has the authority to overturn a recommendation of the Credit Appeals Team.  

Early Dismissals/Students Leaving School During the Day

The school staff encourages the scheduling of medical, legal and other personal appointments during non-school hours. A written request for early dismissal, signed by the student’s parent or guardian stating the date, time, and reason for the early dismissal, must be submitted to the Attendance Secretary in the main office by 9:00am. In addition, if a student is driving themselves to an appointment during the school day, a note or document from the agency verifying the appointment is required upon return.  Students must sign out in the main office before leaving.

In extenuating circumstances where time does not allow for prior, written permission, parents and guardians will need to come into the main office to sign out the student.  

Students being dismissed due to illness will need to do so through the nurse’s office. 

For student safety reasons, parents and guardians cannot call the main office to dismiss students, with the exception of emergency circumstances.  Dismissals not following the above procedures will result in unexcused absences in the classes from which the student is absent.  

All students must sign out in the main office before leaving.

Participation in School Activities and Absences

Students must be present at school in order to participate in, or attend, interscholastic athletic contests, athletic practices, co-curricular activities or other school-sponsored activities.  

For purposes of this expectation, students must arrive at school no later than 10:00am to participate in all activities.  When there is a half-day of school scheduled, students must arrive at school no later than 9:15am.  

Exceptions may be granted by the Principal or Associate Principal in cases where extenuating circumstances prevail.

Tardiness to Class

Every fifth unexcused tardy to a class is equivalent to an absence which will count towards the Total Absences in that class per the Credit Withheld Regulations mentioned above.  

Tardiness to School

Students arriving at school after 8:00 AM are to report to the main office.  In order for student tardiness to be excused, a signed note from the parent/guardian must be presented upon the student’s arrival to school and must explain an extenuating circumstance that resulted in the student being late to school. In the case where a student was not able to get a note from his/her parent regarding the extenuating circumstance on the day of the tardy, that student must bring the note on the following day.  

It should be noted that reasons such as oversleeping, missing the bus, etc., are not acceptable excuses for habitual tardiness to school. The "Tardiness to Class" regulation mentioned above is applicable for the course(s) that a student is arriving late to, when late to school.  

Vacations/Family Travel

Families are asked to plan trips during school vacation periods to ensure that students gain fully from the classroom experience.  If a student will be absent from school due to family travel, parents are asked to send a note to the Attendance Secretary in advance of the trip.  Absences from school due to family travel are counted toward the Attendance Policy Limits. By School Board policy, no more than five days missed for this reason can be considered excused.

If parents will be out of town on travel, they should notify the school, in writing, about whom the responsible guardian will be during the absence, including the person’s name, address, telephone number(s), and, when possible, email address.