Union High School

Mr. DeBellonia - Attendance Coordinator	adebellonia@twpunionschools.org	(908) 851-6524
Ms. Hutchins - 9th & 10th Grade	ahutchins@twpunionschools.org	(908) 851-6521
Mrs. Askew - 11th & 12th Grade	caskew@twpunionschools.org	(908) 851-6523

Only valid excuses are recognized as suitable reasons for a student's absence. In our district, a valid excuse is one for personal illness, legal matters, a religious observance or death of a member of the immediate family. Verification to certify the legitimacy of the absence should be brought to the Attendance Office within 2 weeks of the absence. Verification may be in the form of:

Unexcused absences are those that are not recognized as board approved excused absences. They are charged against the student’s attendance record in Genesis.

 

The school day begins at 7:35am. Students who arrive at school, or homeroom, after 7:35am are tardy.

Truancy means ten or more cumulative unexcused student absences. A student is considered truant when an absence is not reported to the Attendance Office.

 

Absence, and the reason for absence, must be reported by the student's parent or legal guardian by calling the Attendance Office between 7:30a.m.-9:00a.m. on the day of the absence. It can also be reported using the parent portal in Genesis.

The parent or guardian must call or email the respective grade level attendance secretary by 9am to inform the school that the student is to be released early. The student may also present a written note to the Attendance Office prior to the start of homeroom. Only then will an excused early pass be issued. All notes will be checked for authenticity. If a student leaves before 11:35am, it will be considered an unexcused absence for the day. 

 

College visits are considered excused absences by adhering to the following procedure:
 
Written verification from the college on school letterhead or stationary, signed and dated by an administrator/registrar/advisor or a signed and dated registration card hand-delivered or emailed to the Attendance Office on the first day of the student's return to school.

 

The parent/guardian must contact the Attendance Office by phone or email and provide a reason for the release from school. The student will be excused as soon as the parent/guardian arrives at the main entrance security desk.

 

 

If a student is late to school five or more times in a month, he/she will be issued a Saturday detention(s). Automated calls will go home when a student is marked late.

 

• Cutting Class: Central Detention, Saturday Detention, In School Suspension
• Leaving School without permission: In School Suspension,  Out of School Suspension

 

Only valid excuses are recognized as suitable reasons for a student's absence.
In this district a valid excuse is one for personal illness, legal matters, or a religious observance or death of a member of the immediate family. Verification to certify the legitimacy of the absence should be brought to the Attendance Office within 2 weeks of the student's absence. This verification may be in the form of a doctor's note, a court document, a letter from the religious group or some documentation concerning the death of a member of the immediate family.
 
Medical/Dental Appointments
Students may be excused for a medical or dental appointment with a written request from the student's parent or guardian in advance of the appointment except in emergencies. All appointments are subject to verification by the school authorities at the discretion of the Principal. Dental excuses will be accepted for the part of the day during which the visit was made. There will be no full-day dental excuses unless documented by a note from the dentist.
 
Situations involving extenuating circumstances, judged not to be valid excuses by the Principal, will be referred to the Central Office administration (the Superintendent or his designee) for a determination.
 
School sponsored programs, such as field trips, athletic contests and other programs, may be excused at the discretion of the Principal.
 
Legal Matters - with proper documentation submitted to the Attendance Office
 
The cited excused absences (field trips, etc.) -do not excuse students from submission of projects or assignments due on the day of a planned absence. Such requirements must be submitted prior to the absence day or submitted to the teacher or placed in his/her mailbox on the day of the absence. Requirements not submitted will be graded as failure. *If a student misses a test/quiz as a result of an excused absence, he/she must take the test/quiz on the first day back in class. There is no grace period given because of participation in a field trip or other excused absences. Exceptions can only be made by the department supervisor.

 

1. All student absences from a class will be classified as unexcused and shall be charged against the student's attendance record unless a valid reason is provided.
2. Teachers are not required to give specific assignments to cover the period of unexcused absences.
3. Tests, quizzes, reports, homework and any other work missed as a result of an unexcused absence cannot be made up for full credit.
4. Any work listed above, which is graded by the teacher, will not receive a mark above the minimum passing mark which is a D in the district's marking system.
5. Final examinations will not be taken by those students charged with being unexcused on the day of the exam. A failing mark of "F" shall be recorded.

When the appeals process has been exhausted, the student's report card and permanent record card will indicate the mark earned; however, a zero (0) will be recorded in the credit column. A note in the comments section will say "excessive unexcused absences this semester." Credits withheld can be made up in a summer school session or through school counseling approved online courses. the student's report card and transcript.