School Attendance Policy 2025-2026
We are excited to share our school’s Attendance policy and plan. This policy and plan will hopefully provide you with the information and guidance you need to help you help your child attend and stay in school.
OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY’S ATTENDANCE GOAL
Attendance matters. Missing a day of school means missing hours of instructional time. Research shows that students who attend regularly achieve greater success in school and in life. Our school’s collective goal for attendance remains the same. We want every child attending school every day or at least 95% of the school year.
ATTENDANCE TAKING
Our school will take official daily attendance during 2nd period (9:08 am – 9:53 am)
Additionally, period attendance will be taken in Jupiter.
ATTENDANCE DEFINITIONS
Present In-Person: Student attends (is physically present in the classroom/school learning environment) at least one full instructional period during the school day.
COMMUNICATION WITH FAMILIES
Our school uses the following methods to communicate with families about attendance:
- CAASS Parent Portal: Allows parent/guardian to receive notifications of when the student scans into the school building each day. Please contact the school at (718) 277-1572 to request access.
- DOE Automated Daily Attendance Notifications: At 11:00 am each morning, an automated notification from the New York City Department of Education will be sent out to families if a student was marked absent.
- ParentSquare: Parents/guardians will receive a final notification each day to confirm whether their student was absent or was marked Late for the day. Staff members may also use ParentSquare to communicate messages about attendance.
- Jupiter Grades: Period attendance is taken in Jupiter. Families may receive notifications if they were marked absent for that class. Parents/guardians will be notified of any referrals recorded in Jupiter by teachers or staff.
- Phone calls: Families may receive phone calls to regarding student attendance.
- Mailings: Parents/guardians may receive periodic mailings about their child’s attendance.
It is very important for the school to have families’ up-to-date contact information. To make sure we can reach you, please alert us of any changes to your address or phone number by:
Families can contact the school at (718) 277-1572 to communicate any reasons for absences or latenesses.
ABSENCES
If you know your child is going to miss school on a certain day or will be missing school for an extended period, please notify the school in advance by contacting the school at (718) 277-1572. Students should also bring in a note or any documentation explaining their absence when they return to school.
Please note: Absences can be explained but not excused. Absences will still be included in a student’s year-to-date attendance rate calculation.
LATENESS
Even if a student is late, they are still marked as present as long as they attend for at least one instructional period. If you know your child is going to be late on a certain day please call (718) 277-1572.
Lateness will be recorded when a student is not in their classroom by 9:08 am. Just as with absences, lateness can be explained by submitting documentation or a note.
LEAVING EARLY
If a student leaves school before the end of the school day, they are still marked as present as long as they attend for at least one instructional period. If your child is going to leave early on a certain day, a parent, guardian or other adult (over the age of 18) who is specified on the blue card or NYC Parent Schools Account must come to the school and provide a photo ID in order to sign the student out.
ATTENDANCE AND MAKE-UP WORK
If a child is absent or late, grades, coursework, or exams could be affected. Students should contact their teachers to schedule arrangements to make up their work.