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Attendance and Absences

How do students do well in school? They go every day.

 

We understand that students may miss school occasionally for illness, emergencies, or religious reasons, but we want to see you at school every day. This matters. It gives you the best chance to do well and be prepared for the next grade.

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What is an excused absence?

 

  • An excused absence is when a student has permission or a valid reason to be absent from school.

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  • An absence can be excused by the parent/guardian. Call the main office at  (718) 658-4016 to tell us when and why the student will be absent. The main office can then notify teachers that the student will not be in class.

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  • You can send your student to school with a note from the parent/guardian or from a professional (like a doctor, dentist, or lawyer) to explain the absence. Send this note before or immediately after the absence.

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  • Some valid reasons for excused absences include:

    • illness (serious sickness)​

      • includes: fever; vomiting; injury (sprain, broken bone); infection​; flu 

    • court appearance

    • medical appointment (doctor, dentist, etc.)

    • religious holiday

    • death in family

    • accident / medical emergency

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Example of Note for Excused Absence

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What is an Unexcused absence?

 

  • QC and the City of New York prioritize your child's education and recognize the great importance of daily attendance in succeeding academically. For this reason, not all absences are excused absences. 

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  • When students are absent, they miss valuable lessons in the content and language needed to succeed in school and prepare them for college. 

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  • Consequences for unexcused absences may include loss of class participation points. This may result in lower grades and loss of privileges and school rewards. 

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  • Some examples of unexcused absences include:

    • didn't feel like going to school

    • was tired or wanted to sleep more

    • family vacation

    • visiting relatives

    • "It was raining / snowing / too hot / too cold."

    • missing the train or bus

    • minor cold

Excessive (too many) absences

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  • Students who miss more than 2 days per month are deemed excessively absent or chronically absent. This means that they are missing too many days of school. 

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  • Research shows that excessive absenteeism negatively affects academics. Even if the absences are excused, the result is the same: the student is more likely to have lower test scores and not graduate from school.

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  • Research shows that students who miss more than 15 days in one school year are at serious risk of falling behind in school and possibly dropping out of school.

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  • In cases when a student is excessively or chronically absent, a social worker or truancy officer may conduct a home visit to investigate why the student is frequently not in school.

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  • Athletes: Students who are involved in the Public Schools Athletic League (PSAL) sports teams must maintain an attendance record of 90% during the marking period to continue playing sports. For more information about PSAL eligibility, visit this website.

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