Attendance and Lateness

The Sousa academic day begins promptly at 8:45 am. Any student arriving after 8:45 am is considered late and must check-in on arrival at the front desk to complete a late pass. We are required by law to keep an accurate tally of school attendance.

 

Whenever a student is absent from or late to school, these are the steps to follow:

  1. A parent or guardian should phone the school and inform the office of the child’s absence before 9:00 A.M. that same day. The school attendance phone number is 516-767-5355. Please leave a message indicating that your child will be absent indicating the reason (sick, vacation, etc.).
  2. Upon return to school, the parent or guardian must write a note giving the child’s name, date of return, days of absence, reason for absence, and their signature. 
  3. The student must present the note to the classroom teacher.
  4. If the absence is due to travel or a reason other than illness, the parent or guardian should notify the school prior to the absence in writing. 
  5. If parents/guardians know that their child will be more than a few minutes late to school, call the main office at 516-767-5355 to let the us know.
  6. If a call is not received, you may receive an automated call from the district.  

The New York State Education Department (NYSED) is monitoring student attendance, particularly for those deemed to be chronically absent or at risk of becoming chronically absent. Under New York State law, chronic absence has been defined as missing at least ten percent of the total enrolled school days.

 

The Port Washington Board of Education expects the following:

• All students are required by state law to attend school every day unless they have an excused absence.

• When a student has been absent and returns to school, they must bring a written excuse, signed by a parent or guardian, stating the date of, the length of time of, and the reason for the absence.

 

Excused absences include:

1. illness of student
2. serious illness or death in the student’s family
3. serious contagious or epidemic disease in the household where the student resides
4. remedial health treatment which cannot be arranged at any other time
5. religious observance
6. released time for religious education
7. required court appearance

 

*Please note that taking children out of school for vacation is considered an unexcused absence and we, therefore, discourage parents/guardians from doing so. Under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), each school and district now receives a rating of level one through four based on its chronic absenteeism rate, which includes both excused and unexcused absences. A level one requires the school to complete corrective action, while a level four places the school in good standing. As a result, we appreciate your assistance in ensuring that your children attend school regularly so that they can receive full benefits from their educational experiences.

 

It is important to remember that New York State law permits absence from school only for specific reasons: sickness or quarantine; unsafe travel conditions; death or sickness in the family; religious observance; required presence in court; approved educational trips and programs; remedial health treatment; and approved cooperative work programs. Other absences are considered unexcused. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) 

 

School attendance starts at home. Parents play the biggest role in developing a child’s attitude towards school attendance:

 

  • Show you have a positive attitude toward school.
  • Allow your child plenty of time in the morning to get ready for school.
  • Make every effort to schedule doctor, dentist and other appointments before and after school hours.
  • Refuse to write excuses for anything other than legitimate absences. Refuse to view tardiness as acceptable behavior and discourage early checkouts.
  • Plan family vacations in accordance with the school calendar if possible.
  • If you know in advance that your child must be absent, notify the teachers and encourage your child to make up missed work.
  • Talk to your child about the need to develop good habits and positive attitudes.
  • Use good judgment. Don’t send a child to school who is actually ill.

 

When a child is frequently late to school, they always have to play catch-up. Having missed the morning announcements, the pledge, the general directions for the day from the teacher and the time allotted for children to ease into the rhythm of the day, the tardy child faces extra challenges in adjusting to the normal academic demands. This additional burden often causes problems for the child throughout the morning and places them at a learning disadvantage.

 

It is very important for all children to experience the full school day. We enlist your help in seeing that your child has this advantage.