Attendance 

Students are expected to be in school every day.  Attendance is closely linked with student success.  A letter will be sent home on the 4th, 8th, 10th and 11th absences.  When a child returns to school after any absences, he/she must present a written explanation, signed by the student’s parent/guardian acknowledging the student’s absence.   The school’s Attendance Review Committee (ARC) will monitor student attendance. On a student’s 15th absence, the ARC will convene a meeting to develop an action plan for improved attendance at school.  Students with poor school attendance may be ineligible to participate in special programs/activities/athletics including dances, trips.  The ARC will communicate with parents throughout the year to document and encourage a student’s attendance in school. 

A student who has six (6) absences during a trimester or eighteen (18) for a full year does not meet the minimum instructional requirements. Those students will be labeled as “chronically absent” by the State of New Jersey. 

Research shows:

• Children chronically absent in kindergarten and 1^st grade are much less likely to read at grade level by the end of 3^rd grade.

• By 6^th grade, chronic absence is a proven early warning sign for students at risk for dropping out of school.

• By 9^th grade good attendance can predict graduation rates even better than 8^th grade test scores.

Absences can add up quickly. A child is chronically absent if he or she misses just two days every month!