Attendance
Every student should strive for attendance each day. In addition, absences and tardiness are entered on permanent records which are available on the parent portal.
Parent/Guardians must call the school main office before school, to report any absence or late (i.e.: sick, dr. appt., family vacation, religious observance, etc.) Feel free to leave a message on the main office voicemail which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You must present a written excuse to your homeroom teacher on the day you return to school following each absence. The note should include the date written, the date of absence, the reason for absence, and the signature of your parent/guardian.
Any contagious disease requires a note from a doctor for re-admittance to school. Take your note directly to the nurse before going to first period upon your return. Also, if you have had a fever of 100o or higher, you should not return to school until you have been fever-free for 24 hours.
If you are injured, a doctor’s note is required. This note should state the injury, any restrictions, and if you can or cannot participate in physical education. If you cannot participate in physical education, the note must state specifically when you can return to class as an active participant.
If you are tardy, you must bring a note of explanation signed by a parent or guardian to your first period teacher. If a note is not provided within 3 days of being tardy it will result in a detention. Excessive tardiness will result in detention. Any student who is late five (5) times in one marking period is subject to detention.
In order for students to attend a school-sponsored function, it is necessary that students attend classes for at least half of the school day on the day of the activity. One-half of the school day is defined as follows: from 8:30 a.m. until noon or from noon until the end of the school day.
Note: New York State law states that absences due to vacations are to be recorded as illegal.
**Due to our new period-by-period attendance, there are no longer “perfect attendance awards” distributed.** Automatic student absence letters are generated each month for students who are chronically absent.
Making Up Work During Excused Absences
Teachers are understanding about one-day excused absences, and will give you the opportunity to make up the work. In this situation, you should call a friend to obtain assignments. If the absence is anticipated to be more than one day, your parent may request the work by calling the Main Office when they call you in sick. Students missing school due to an unexcused absence will receive a grading penalty for any classwork, quizzes or tests. As previously mentioned, a note must be handed in within three days of absence. If a note is not handed in within the three days, a student will not be permitted to make-up work for the excused absence.
Early Release for Individual Students
Students may not leave the building for any reason without permission from the Main Office. Parents or guardians taking students out of school during the day must first report to the receptionist and then to the Main Office to sign you out of school.
If you must leave during the school day for an appointment that cannot be scheduled outside of the school day, and subsequently return to school, be sure to report to the Main Office to sign back in. All medical appointments need a doctor’s note when the child returns.
If anyone other than a parent/ guardian signs a student out of school, they must present a permission note which includes the date, name of the person authorized to take the student out of school and the parent/guardian signature.