It is the goal of the Wappingers Central School District to afford each student the opportunity to meet his/her full potential. In addition to the Commissioner’s regulations (§ 3205) concerning compulsory school attendance, consistent attendance has been shown to be a major contributing factor in academic achievement. Therefore, the board of education considers that implementing an appropriate level of discipline for unauthorized absences is one mechanism for assisting parents and staff in maintaining students’ attendance.

Students are expected to be present and punctual each day that school is in session.

Absences

When a student is absent from school, parents/guardians must provide a written excuse upon the student’s return to school. (See the list of Excused Absenses below.) The written excuse must be submitted to the Attendance Office within five (5) school days of the absence. Failure to do so will result in the absence being recorded as an unexcused absence.
Note that the student is excused for the day or days of absences, not the material covered in his/her classes. Students must consult with their teachers to arrange a schedule for makeup assignments and class work they have missed during their absence(s).

Students returning from an absence will report directly to their homeroom teachers. They must present a written excuse, signed by their parent or guardian, to their homeroom teacher.
The excuse should include:

• Date note is written
• Student’s name (first & last)
• Date(s) of absence
• Student identification number
• Reason for absence
• Signature of parent

Download the Van Wyck Permission Notes.

Single Day Absence

Students who are out of school for one day only should contact other students for class work/homework assignments, check teacher web-site if available, or see their teachers immediately upon returning to school.

Extended Absence

If students will be out of school two or more consecutive days for an excused absence, parents or students may contact the Guidance Office early in the school day (e.g., 7:35-8:30 a.m.) to request homework assignments. The Guidance secretary will request the students' teachers to submit all homework assignments to the Guidance Office before the end of the day. (See our Directory for the phone# of the Guidance Secretary.)

Late Arrival

If students enter the school building after eight o'clock, they must report to the Attendance Office (6th grade house administrator’s office) and get a late pass. If students are tardy to school, they must bring excuses to the Attendance Office upon returning to school. Students arriving on a late bus will not be counted late, but they may be required to sign-in in the front lobby or at the attendance office upon arrival so that records can be corrected.

Early Dismissal

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Additional Information

For the complete Van Wyck JHS Attendance Policy please refer to the Van Wyck Student Handbook.

For the Wappingers Central School District policy on attendance please refer to the WCSD Attendance Policy (See Forms and Downloads).