ATTENDANCE POLICY
HEALTH AND PE ONLY - COMPLETE POLICY AT WWW.ROXBURY.ORG
In accordance with the requirements of New Jersey State Law and Administrative Code, students are expected to attend school every day that school is in session, and the responsibility for compliance belongs to the student and parent/guardian. Regular attendance and participation in classes are a vital and integral part of the learning process. Frequent absences from classroom learning experiences disrupt the continuity of the instructional process and limit the ability of the student to complete the prescribed curriculum requirements successfully. In addition, chronic absences reinforce a habit that will handicap the individual in future education or employment. A student should be in attendance over 90 percent of the school year in order to have successfully completed the instructional program requirements of the grade/course to which he/she is signed.
Students who accrue more than 12 absences in a full year course, 9 absences in a three marking period course (PE), 6 absences in a semester course, or 3 absences in a marking period course (Health) will receive no credit for the course because of excessive absenteeism.
This is not a permissive regulation establishing or licensing a limit of days that may be missed. Rather, it assumes absences will only occur due to personal illness or circumstances listed below. Parent/guardians are asked to contact the school by 9:00 a.m. on any day their child is absent, and to submit a written statement on the first day a student returns to school after an absence. Family vacations, job interviews, etc. will be recorded as absences.
Students who report late to class (less than twenty (20) minutes) without an appropriate pass will accrue (one-half) ½ of a student absence in that class period. Students absent from class for twenty minutes or more will be recorded as absent.
Non-Cumulative Absences
Any absence will count toward the total days with the exception of absences due to:
1. Death in the immediate family.
2. Observation of an approved religious holiday.
3. Suspension from school.
4. Subpoena - court ordered appearance.
5. Driver’s test.
6. Medical notes approved by the administration.
7. Other absences authorized by the administration, with prior approval, including days for college visitations.
An appropriate absence note/documentation, as verified by the RHS administration, must be brought in by the student upon his/her return to school. Failure to bring in a note within five (5) school days will result in the absence being recorded as cumulative.
Authorized school activities, such as field trips, state or school testing, regularly scheduled student council or peer counselor meetings, athletic contests, band lessons, and class meetings will not be counted as cumulative
absences. Teachers should contact the activity advisor if a student's absences from class are hindering the student's academic progress. If a student is performing below average in a course, the teacher and the advisor will determine the advisability of the student missing class to participate in an activity. If a student is failing a course that is required for graduation, it is recommended that the student not be excused from class to attend an activity until he/she maintains a passing average. The Child Study Team should be involved in recommending the appropriate course of action for classified students. In order for a student to participate in an athletic event, student activity, or social activity such as a prom, he/she must be in attendance a minimum of five periods on the day of that event.
Parent/Guardian Notification
It is important that parent/guardian be notified periodically of their child's attendance so that appropriate measures may be taken. Notification will be as follows:
Three Marking Period Course (Physical Education)
1. After the fifth absence, a letter will notify parent/guardian of their child’s attendance status.
2. After the seventh absence, another letter will be sent to the parent/guardian. The student’s counselor and an administrator will meet with the student and contact the parent/guardian.
3. Upon the tenth absence, a letter will notify parent/guardian of loss of credit. The student will be advised of this loss of credit by an administrator.
One Marking Period Course (Health)
1. After the second absence, a letter will notify parent/guardian of their child’s attendance status and an administrator will meet with the student and contact the parent/guardian.
2. After the fourth absence, a letter will notify parent/guardian of loss of credit. The student will be advised of this loss of credit by an administrator.