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Attendance
Attendance at Leonia Public Schools
Why Attendance Matters
Academic Achievement
Students who attend school regularly are more likely to achieve academic success, graduate on time, and pursue higher education opportunities. In fact, students with an attendance rate of 95% or higher are more likely to earn A's and B's.
Social and Emotional Development
School provides a supportive environment where students can develop social skills, build friendships, and enhance their emotional well-being. What’s more, irregular attendance by 6th grade, chronic absence becomes a leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school.
Future Success
Did you know that students with regular attendance are 1.7 times more likely to achieve proficiency? Regular attendance instills valuable habits such as punctuality, responsibility, and commitment, which are essential for success in life.
Attendance Tips
Communicate with the school: If your child experiences challenges that affect their attendance, please reach out to the school for support and resources. We are your partner and here to help you however we can.
Encourage a love of learning: Foster a positive attitude towards school and learning by engaging in educational activities with your child at home. If there are areas where your child’s school or academic experience can improve, we encourage you to speak with your school principal or educator.
Establish a consistent routine: Ensure your child gets enough sleep, eats a healthy breakfast, and has ample time to prepare for school each morning. If you need help with providing meals for your child or are in need of transportation, please contact your child’s principal.
Schedule appointments outside of school hours: Whenever possible, schedule doctor's appointments, dental check-ups, and other appointments during non-school hours. Even missing a half day of school for an appointment can be disruptive to your child’s academic experience.
School Absence Notification Procedures
Be sure to review your school’s handbook for more details and information.
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Procedures for Reporting Absences
If a child is going to be absent, you can contact the school in one of two ways - in both instances, please provide your child’s name, teacher and reason for absence.
- Call the main office at (201) 302-5200
- Email the school at acsattendance@leoniaschools.org
For absences that last for an extended period of time due to illness, the school nurse may reach out for more information.
In cases where your child must be released from a school prior to the end of the school day, parents must report to the main office to sign their child out.
In the event your child arrives after 9:00am, they should report to the main office.
Parents of students who have excessive and/or unexcused absences, tardiness or early departures will be notified by telephone and by mail.
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Regular and on-time attendance is important for academic success. The State considers students with more than 15 absences as not meeting college and career readiness expectations. To support student learning, Leonia Middle School relies on families to prioritize daily attendance.
A student may be excused from school for such causes as disabling illness, recovery from an accident, required court appearance, death in the family, and/or religious observance upon receipt of verification from the parent/guardian detailing the reason(s). Documentation of the nature and causes of absences shall be the responsibility of the student and the parent/guardian.
Parents will be notified monthly regarding excessive absences and tardies.
Procedures
If your child is absent: Parents/guardians should call the school by 8:30 AM to report their child’s absence. Students should bring a note upon returning to school that explains the reason for the absence. Students should give this note to their homeroom teacher.Students who are absent from school or serving a suspension (in school or out of school) may not participate in any school activities on the day of their absence or suspension.
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Procedures
The attendance office must be notified of a student's absence by 8:30 AM on the morning of the absence. Notification of the absence must be made by a Parent or Guardian. Absences shall be reported through the Genesis Parent Portal using the Parent Attendance Notes function. The attendance office must be notified of an absence due to religious holidays in advance of the day off.
- Parents are to call the Attendance Office (201-302-5200, ext. 5204) in the event their child is absent.
- If an absence is not reported by 8:30 am, the Attendance Office will call the student’s home to request information concerning the student’s absence. Students will be afforded the opportunity to make up missed work if they request permission to do so. It is the student’s responsibility to speak with the teacher regarding missed work and/or quizzes.
Students reporting to class without either attending homeroom or signing in at the attendance office will be considered absent for the day.
For a student to be eligible for athletics or any after-school activities, the student must arrive at school by 10:30 am. Students who leave school early end their school day which will exclude them from taking part in any after school activities. Special circumstances may be taken into consideration with administrative approval.