Daily Attendance

Attendance is mandatory and a prerequisite for academic success. Chancellor’s regulation states students must maintain a minimum 90% attendance rate. A student who misses more than two days a month throughout the year is chronically absent. Period attendance is taken daily in every class. Official attendance is taken during period 3.

A student is absent from school when he/she is not in school. A student is cutting when he/she has missed one or more classes in a school day. Oversleeping and coming late to school is an unexcused lateness. Coming to school late enough to miss a class is an unexcused cut.

Documentation

All absences require documentation. Students must present a valid absence note to their teachers to sign immediately following the absence. The signed note should then be submitted to the Attendance Office in room 104. Acceptable forms of documentation for absences and lateness include notes from parents, health professionals, funeral homes/directors and court documents. All students are required to make up work missed on days absent. However, only students with excused absences will be given the opportunity to submit missing work to count towards their grades. Excused absences include personal illness, attendance at a health clinic or doctor’s office for treatment of illness, illness or death in the family, religious/cultural observance, inclement weather/unavailable transportation (determined by chancellor), quarantine, court appearance and approved college visits and/or exams. An absence that is not backed up by documentation is an unexcused absence

Leaving Early

Once a student arrives at school, he/she may not leave until the school day is over. Students who need to leave early for an emergency may be picked up only by a parent, guardian or other adult who is listed on the school’s computer system. Adults signing students out of school should do so from the Attendance Office, room 104.

Monitoring Attendance

John Adams High School is serious about attendance. Students and parents are encouraged to check attendance by logging on to Pupilpath, checking report cards or stopping in to the Attendance Office for an attendance printout.

The Attendance Team works closely with the Guidance Department to monitor absences before they become problematic so that we can provide families and students with supports and interventions to promote good attendance. Parents receive phone notification each time their child is absent. After several absences, post cards are send and phone calls made urging parents to bring their child in to the Guidance Department for a conference. If the student is truant, there is an official investigation launched. If parents cannot be reached by phone or mail, we may send our attendance teacher to the home to assist with returning the child to school.

The Attendance Team at John Adams High School is dedicated to your child’s success. If you have any questions or need assistance with attendance issues, please do not hesitate to call the following staff members in Attendance Office

Thomas Glass: 718-322-0589

Josephine Graci: 718-322-0571

Maria Hernandez: 718-322-0572

Marilyn Morgan: 718-322-0532