Excused Absences

Illness/injury: When a student is unable to attend school due to illness or injury, a document or notification (note from the doctor) is required to indicate it as excused.

• If an accommodation is required to return to school (cast or medication) families must call the main office at (718) 292-8817 about 504 plans or Medication Administration Forms. If families fail to seek the necessary accommodation plans, any continuing absences due to illness or injury, including asthma-related absences, may be considered unexcused.
• The school follows the DOE policy on Head Lice.

Religious observation:

When a student is unable to attend school due to religious observation, the family’s request in writing is required to indicate an excused absence. Please refer to Chancellor’s Regulation A-630.

Family emergency: When a student is unable to attend school due to a death or an emergency, notification and documentation by the family is required to indicate an excused absence.

• If a student requires supports to return to school (transportation, counseling, supplies), the family must call [person and number] to discuss their needs.
• Absences to attend funerals outside the country will not be excused.

Pre-arranged appointments:

When a student is unable to attend school due to appointments with the court, social services, or other city agencies, notification and documentation by the family is required to indicate an excused absence.

• Up to three full-day absences for school visits related to the middle school or high school application process or college visits will be considered excused with appropriate documentation of the activities.
• Whenever possible, families are expected to schedule appointments, including school visits and doctors’ visits, outside of regular school hours, or to schedule appointments so the student does not miss an entire day of school.

Unexcused Absences

• Unexplained absence: Families are expected to notify the school whenever a student is unable to attend school, either in advance of the absence (preferred) or following the absence. Without explanation of a reason, the absence(s) are considered unexcused.
• Immunization exclusion: When a student is unable to attend school due to lack of appropriate immunizations the absence(s) are considered unexcused. Please refer to Chancellor’s Regulation A-701.
• Family vacations or travel: Families should plan vacations and trips when school is not in session. If students do miss school, families must work with the school to develop plans for take-home and make-up work. Absences for travels are considered unexcused.

When a student has to miss school

It is the family’s responsibility to call the school before 8:00a.m. to inform the school of the reason for any absence. When a student returns from an absence, he/she must submit a note or documentation for the absence to his/her classroom teacher. A record of the absence (excused or not) will be made.

• For any absence, students must make up any exams, quizzes, interim assessments, or other tests. It is the student’s responsibility to coordinate make-up work with the teachers.

Getting to school on time

• Students are marked late if they are not in their homeroom by 8:30 a.m. Families are expected to send in a note explaining the reason(s) for the lateness.
• Lateness may be considered excused for the same reasons provided above for absence (Illness/injury, religious observation, family emergency, pre-arranged appointments) or school bus delays or documented MTA delays.
• Lateness due to routine delays in public transportation are not considered excused. Students and families need to allow ample time for travel and monitor MTA reports on [news, website].There are no exceptions for inclement weather, and families are advised to leave extra time.
• After 8:15 a.m. students must enter the building through the main doors and must go to the Main Office for a late pass.
• The attendance team will follow up with families about recurring lateness issues, including recurring lateness that may be considered excused.

When a student has to leave school early

Leaving school early must be arranged in advance. A student can be dismissed from school early to the family or a person who has been identified on the Blue Emergency Card. Anyone picking up a student must come to the office and provide a photo ID.

• Students may not be signed out from the Main Office after 2:10pm unless there is a family emergency.  Students are preparing for dismissal and bussing.
• The attendance team will follow up with families about recurring incidents of leaving school early.

Notification of absences

Designated staff have been identified as the Attendance Monitoring and Outreach Team.  They will call the homes of students marked absent each morning to ascertain the students’ whereabouts.  Even if families provided a documented reason and the absence is considered excused, a phone call may still be made.

It is very important to keep all contact information updated. Please alert the Main Office of any changes to address or phone numbers.

• Families can check student attendance online with a NYC School Account.
• At the end of each marking period the family should review the record of attendance that appears on the report card. If an error has been made, notify the Main Office. Errors in the attendance or lateness record cannot be corrected after mid-July.
• After the current school year, inaccurate attendance and lateness records may be amended, per Chancellor’s Regulation A-820 as a letter to the student's file.
• If families have any questions or concerns about getting students to school every day, they can call the school and ask for an Attendance Team Member for assistance.

When students meet attendance expectations

Only students who are in school on the day of after school activities can participate in after school activities.

• Students with perfect attendance are recognized at monthly grade Awards Assemblies.
• The two classes with the highest attendance rate for the month are recognized at monthly grade Awards Assemblies.
• All classes participate in bi-monthly Attendance Challenges. Winners of each challenge are recognized and rewarded with a prize by the Parent’s Association.
• Classes with 100% Attendance for the day are displayed daily by the Main Office.

When students are frequently absent or late

1. Home visit or family conferences to better understand causes;

2. Family coaching or individual counseling on time management or managing family issues;

3. Referral to ACS preventive agency services to address underlying reasons;

4. Connection to outside agency or program for additional services.

• The school ensures that appropriate outreach and guidance interventions are provided for students who exhibit attendance problems, including arriving late, leaving early, or cutting. Guidance counselors, teachers, social workers, or other school staff can all be involved in facilitating attendance resolutions.
• Whenever students miss ten days in a row, outreach to the family is required to understand and try to resolve the reasons for the absences. For students in grade 5 and under, such outreach is also required when the students miss 20 days within four months.
• For continued unexcused absences (or lateness, leaving early), the Attendance Teacher may make further recommendations that may include…

Attendance and course grades

No number of absences can prevent promotion to the next grade or graduation. However, it is more likely that a student who misses school will have lower grades, test scores and may not meet the academic standards for promotion or graduation.

School calendar

• Lateness to subject class may result in a lower class average due to the loss of instructional time in activities such as: classroom participation, examinations (quizzes/full period exams), dialogues, speeches, group work, lab work, etc.

• The school calendar is posted on the NYC Department of Education website and in the Main Office.
• All students receive a monthly calendar at the beginning of the month that is updated to show upcoming school events and testing schedules. It is also shared on Class Dojo and our Live Calendar. All dates/times are subject to change, please stay updated by checking the Live Calendar frequently.