Attendance Policies
ATTENDANCE POLICY AND PROCEDURES
IMPORTANCE OF ATTENDANCE
Improving Attendance and Reducing Cutting: A Partnership Between Parents and the School
Essential to the success of this policy is improved communication between the school and the home. We must be partners and allies, working together on behalf of your child. This provides further information in order to ensure that the attendance policy is implemented fairly and efficiently. If a problem develops, we want to inform you BEFORE it affects grades, thus maximizing your child’s chances for success.
EXCUSED ABSENCE PROCEDURES (AE in PowerSchool)
If your child is absent from school, please report the absence that day by contacting the Attendance Supervisors in the Attendance Office at 516.203.3600 Ext. 3237. If they are unavailable, a message may be left on her voicemail or with one of her assistants. Students may NOT place absence notification calls. Additionally, according to school policy, only the following are considered legitimate reasons for school absences:
◦ Sickness * ◦ Impassable Roads
◦ Death in Family ◦ Court Appearance *
◦ Religious Observance ◦ Approved Work Programs *
◦ Remedial Health Care ◦ Approved College Visit **
◦ Field Trips ◦ Failure of School Transportation
* Extended illnesses beyond five consecutive days, court appearances, approved work programs, will require proper documentation or administrative approval to count as an excused absence.
** College Visits (CV in PowerSchool)
11th & 12th graders will be provided up to 5 excused absences for college visits in a given school year with documented proof of visit from the college. 9th and 10th graders accompanying an upper class sibling will be provided up to 5 excused absences for college visits in a given school year with documented proof of visit from the college.
UNEXCUSED ABSENCE NOTIFIED (AUN in PowerSchool)
All absences must be reported to the school per the procedures listed above. Reported absences that do not meet the criteria on an excused absence will be designated as an unexcused absence.
Please note that family vacation is NOT a legitimate reason for school absence. Unexcused absences may prevent students from making up missed assignments.
UNEXCUSED ABSENCE (AU in PowerSchool)
If your child is absent but does not qualify for one of the excused reasons labeled above and if the school is not contacted regarding your child’s absence, an unexcused absence will result; and disciplinary action will ensue.
CUTTING
A cut occurs when a student chooses to skip class for no legitimate reason. Students will be issued a cut slip and must appear before Ms. Kurtzman to discuss the cut. Failure to appear before Ms. Kurtzman will result in immediate discipline. Upon investigation of the cut, students can be disciplined up to and including suspension or even be denied course credit.
LATE TO SCHOOL
Students assigned to a third period class who arrive after 8:59 a.m. are required to report to the Attendance Office upon arrival to school. Students arriving after 8:59 am must have a parent/guardian call the Attendance Office explaining the legal reason for lateness. Unexcused lateness to school may result in disciplinary intervention. Any student with driving privileges who is late to school more than three times may have those privileges revoked. (Note: Oversleeping is not a legal reason to be late to school!) Students will not be admitted to school without a parent/guardian phone call.
LATE TO CLASS
Any student entering a classroom after the bell signifying the start of instruction is considered late. This includes the student’s first class of the day. The lateness will be recorded. Extensive unexcused lateness will result in intervention and disciplinary action. Oversleeping is not an excused lateness.
LEAVING SCHOOL EARLY
Students who must leave school early must contact the Attendance Office at the beginning of the day. For safety and legal reasons, parents must sign out their child in person at the Attendance Office. Failure to follow this procedure will result in disciplinary action. Seniors only may sign themselves out with a verified call and note from a parent stating legitimate reasons. Failure to follow this procedure will result in disciplinary action. If returning to school on the same day, proper documentation must be brought to the Attendance Office (i.e. doctors note) or administrative approval must be obtained.
CLOSED CAMPUS/CAMPUS SAFETY
In order to protect our students’ safety, Jericho High School has a “closed campus,” meaning that students are not allowed outside the school walls from the start to the end of their days, unless accompanied by a school official. For all of our safety, students should also not open doors at any time for anyone. Students should also report anyone who looks suspicious to a school official.