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Robert Perkins, Assistant Principal |
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West Morris Central High School |
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Attendance Absences and Excuses
In order for the Board of Education to fulfill its responsibility for providing a thorough and efficient education for each student, the complete cooperation of parents and students is required to maintain a high level of school attendance.
Regular attendance at school is an indicator of responsible student behavior. Prolonged or repeated absences from school or from class deprive the student of the classroom activities deemed essential to learning and may result in failure to meet academic requirements and loss of credit toward the high school diploma. Any student who is absent from school or any given class more than thirteen times will be subject to administrative review and/or committee review. An intervention program, intended improve attendance, and make up missed work will be implemented for students who accumulate more than thirteen absences. This program may include disciplinary action or removal from class and loss of credit.
Daily Notification by Parents/Guardians
Parents are responsible for notifying the school early in the day when a student will be absent and for informing the school of the reason for the absence. Such notification is necessary to ensure the safety of students; it does not replace or limit the responsibility of parents to maintain records and documentation of absences in the event that such becomes necessary for an administrative or committee review.
Notification by School Personnel
All absences will accumulate regardless of their nature. After seven absences a school official will notify the parent/guardian in writing. After thirteen absences, parents will again be notified and a review committee will consider various options to rectify these excessive absences.
Attendance Notifications:
Regular Year Long Classes 7 absences-warning letter 13 absences-final letter
Physical Education Class 5 absences- warning letter 9 absences-final letter
Semester Classes 3 absences-warning letter 6 absences-final letter
Marking Period Classes 2 absences-warning letter 3 absences-final letter
Modification Plan
After thirteen absences, when failure is imminent for the year, a w/f (withdraw/fail) grade will be given and/or the student will be removed from the class. If the student is passing the course, the student will be placed on an Attendance Modification Plan by the Attendance Review Committee. Teachers will be asked for Modification Plan recommendations. Teachers will also receive copies of all student and parent attendance letters.
Failure to complete the modification plan will result in failure of the course for the year.
A school sponsored activity, religious observance, court ordered appearance, death in the immediate family, or extended illness in excess of three days (doctor’s note required) may constitute an exemption from the cumulative total.
Excused and Unexcused Lates
Except for school authorized trips and activities, missing more that 15 minutes of a class period is recorded as an absence if verified and a cut if unverified.
Homework Make-Up Policy
Students who will be out of school for from one to four days are instructed to obtain the assignment from friends or other students in their classes, or may also obtain the assignment from the teacher upon returning to school. Any student who is expected to be out for more that four days may contact the Guidance Office secretary or a counselor and ask that homework assignments be obtained. The student or parent should indicate the probable length of absence and the person who will pick up the work. The Guidance Office instructs the student or parents to make arrangements with the person who will pick up the work. Upon such a request, the secretary forwards a homework request form to teachers, who return the completed form, together with any necessary papers, to the Guidance Office. If necessary, the counselor obtains books from the student’s locker or assists the parent in doing so.
Truancy/Cutting of Class
The same procedure will apply to students who accumulate three or more absences due to truancy and/or individual class cuts. All students who illegally absent themselves from three classes will be granted a hearing before the review committee which my recommend the sanction of withdrawn failing or other appropriate responses.
The board will report to appropriate authority’s infractions of the law regarding the attendance of students below the age of 16. Repeated infractions by enrolled students over the age of 16 may result in suspension or expulsion. It is the policy of the board to consider the effectiveness and appropriateness of the educational program for those students who habitually and repeatedly absent themselves from their assigned classes and to refer such cases to the child study team for review.
Students who a truant or cut class lose the privilege of making up test or other class work given on the day or the illegal absence
Early Dismissal/Late Arrival
Students reporting to school after the beginning of the first period (7:40a.m.) must sign in at the General office. The nature of the tardiness will be evaluated by an administrator and the student will be issued an admit slip to class with the tardiness marked “excused” or “unexcused.” Arrivals after 7:55 a.m. or over 15 minutes late to class will be considered a class absence or cut.
There will be a progression of escalating disciplinary steps for unexcused tardiness. After initial warning, parents will be contacted, detentions issued, and other appropriate step taken to remediate the situation. Students will not be admitted to class without an admit slip. Unexcused arrival after 7:55 a.m. (15 minutes) will be considered a class cut. Teacher should fill out a cut slip and follow the cut policy procedures. Students arriving after the second period class has begun must sign in at the General Office.
Students who wish to be excused legally (for early dismissal), MUST bring a note to the General Office PRIOR TO 7:40 a.m. on the day they wish to be excused.
Reporting Absences
The parent/guardian is required to call in by 9:00 a.m. to report student absenteeism or if a student is going to be tardy. The phone number to call to report when your child will be absent/tardy is 908-879-6580. Please note that traffic, car problems or oversleeping are not excusable reasons for tardiness.
When you call, please clearly state the child’s name, grade, reason for absence or tardiness and a daytime phone number where we may reach you to verify the absence. A note for a daily absenteeism will not be required. We are, however, requiring a note to be presented at the Main Office in the morning for early dismissal or late arrival. For an extended illness of three of more consecutive days, a doctor’s not is required.
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