Attendance
Why Attendance Matters
At JW Leary Junior High School, we believe that consistent attendance is essential for a thorough and complete education. It’s important for students to be in school on time each day to engage with academic material that supports their growth.
We also understand that there may be circumstances in a child’s life that occasionally require them to miss school. These absences or tardies are acceptable—as long as they don’t become frequent.
Improving Attendance
Improving student attendance is a district-wide goal. To support this effort, we kindly ask parents to schedule family vacations during school breaks whenever possible. Additionally, we encourage scheduling doctor’s appointments after school hours to minimize missed instructional time.
When students are signed out early, they miss valuable learning opportunities. If early dismissals become frequent, it can impact academic progress. Your support in helping us prioritize consistent attendance is greatly appreciated!
School starts at 7:30 AM. Students who arrive in their classrooms after this time are reported to the main office as tardy. An absence is recorded when a student is out of school for the entire day. Both tardies and absences are entered into a database where we track attendance for each student.
When a student is absent, the nurse’s office will call the student’s home to ensure the parent is aware of the absence and to confirm the student’s safety.
The expectation at JW Leary Junior High School is that parents will forward, in writing, a note that includes the date(s), student’s name and explanation of absence. We keep these notes on file in the office.
Each week an attendance check is done on all students. In addition to sending attendance information with progress reports and report cards additional letters may be sent if problems arise.
Below you will find the schedule for school communication when attendance issues become concerning for a child’s progress:
- more than 10% of days absent; this will be determined in two week intervals;
- anytime the child is absent over 3 consecutive days without school knowledge ahead of time
In both instances, if a parent fails to meet or talk with the school and/or if continued attendance issues persist, an outside agency referral will be made.
It is important that students be in school on time each day in order to be presented with academic material that will help them grow as a student. We also recognize that there are circumstances in a child’s life that may require them to miss school occasionally. These tardies or absences are understandable and accepted as long as the occurrence doesn’t become frequent.
NOTE: Medical documentation from a doctor supersedes this protocol.
Reporting Absences
If your child is going to be absent from school, please call the school by 9:00 A.M. on the immediate day and report the reason for his/her absence. An absence excuse must still be sent from home when your child returns to school. Please remember that regular and punctual attendance is essential for the optimum growth and development of students.