Attendance

Expectations

Attendance every day is required for students’ academic success. Perfect attendance is the goal. Having 90% attendance means a student is missing 18+ days over a school year—nearly a month of instruction—and at risk for academic failure. With regular attendance, students learn the skills and habits to succeed in their academic and social lives. New York State regulations require schools to maintain records that verify student attendance. 

Attendance and lateness must be recorded daily.

 

Absences

A student who is not in school at least one instructional period is marked absent for the day. Absences may be excused (but not eliminated) for reasons listed below. Excused absences will not be counted when attendance is calculated for school attendance recognition, or for eligibility in school activities. However, the attendance team will follow up with families about recurring attendance issues, including recurring absences that may be considered excused. 

 

Excused Absences 

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

  • If an accommodation is required to return to school (cast or medication) families must contact our nurse, Annette Neglia (aneglia@schools.nyc.gov) 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 NYCPS 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 contact Heather Goodman (HGoodman3@schools.nyc.gov) to discuss their needs.

  • Absences to attend funerals outside the country will not be excused.

  • 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 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 

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

 

When a Student Has to Miss School

It is the family’s responsibility to call the main office, 718-263-9770 before 8:30 a.m. to inform them of the reason for any absence. Families may also email Ms. Fabienne Matteis (FMatteis@schools.nyc.gov) and Ms. Kelly Medero (KMedero2@schools.nyc.gov), as well as their child’s teacher.  

When a student returns from a full day absence, they must submit a note or documentation. A record of the absence (excused or not) will be shared with all of the student’s teachers.

For any absence, students must make up any exams, quizzes, interim assessments, or other tests. It is the student’s responsibility (their family’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 classroom at 8:30 a.m. If a student arrives at school at 8:31 a.m. or later, they should still go to their classroom or prep class and provide the reason 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 local news. There are no exceptions for inclement weather, and families are advised to leave extra time.

  • 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 in the Emergency Contact section of NYCSA. Anyone picking up a student must come to the office and provide a photo ID. The attendance team will follow up with families about recurring incidents of leaving school early. 

 

Notification of Absences

Every family of a student who is not in school by 8:30 a.m. will be notified by an automated call the morning of the absence.  After two consecutive days absent, school staff will call the family. 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 Ms. Matteis 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 Ms. Matteis. 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 or text Mrs. Heather Goodman (HGoodman3@schools.nyc.gov).

 

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. 

Lateness 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. Students are not required to make up the exact hours of missed instructional time. 

When Students Meet Attendance Expectations

Only students who are in school on the day of after school activities (dances, clubs) can participate in after school activities.  A student with Perfect Attendance is defined as one with no absences or lateness.  Each month, students with Perfect Attendance are recognized on a bulletin board near the main entrance.

 

When Students are Frequently Absent or Late

The school ensures that appropriate outreach and guidance interventions are provided for students who exhibit attendance problems, including arriving late, leaving early, or cutting. Deans, guidance counselors, teachers, social workers, or other school staff can all be involved in facilitating attendance resolutions. 

  • After five absences, excused or not, a guidance conference will be scheduled to understand the reasons and set up an intervention plan.
  • After 10 absences, excused or not, students complete a contract with steps for mitigating the reasons.
  • 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.
  • Students with excessive absences may have a home visit for attendance teacher, Sarah Horowitz.