{"id":439,"date":"2012-10-02T19:12:34","date_gmt":"2012-10-02T19:12:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nhvweb.net\/nhhs\/athletics\/parentstudenthandbook\/?page_id=439"},"modified":"2026-01-16T13:52:50","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T13:52:50","slug":"attendance-information","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.nhvweb.net\/nhhs\/athletics\/parentstudenthandbook\/attendance-information\/","title":{"rendered":"Attendance Information"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">At North Hunterdon High School, we believe that regular attendance is one of the most important keys to your\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">child&#8217;s success. When students are consistently in class, they learn more, build stronger connections with their\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">teachers and peers, and are better prepared for their future. This year, we are especially focused on reducing our chronic absenteeism rate, which is a state-level measure of how many students are missing too much school. Your partnership in this effort is crucial!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>What Counts as Being Present?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">For attendance purposes, a student is considered &#8220;present&#8221; if they participate in instruction or school-related\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">activities for at least half of the school day (four instructional hours).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Understanding Absences: State-Excused vs. Locally-Excused<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It&#8217;s important to understand that not all excused absences are treated the same way when it comes to state\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">reporting on chronic absenteeism and loss of credit for classes.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><br \/><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>State-Excused Absences (Do NOT Count Against Chronic Absenteeism):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> These are specific reasons<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">for absence that are recognized by the State of New Jersey and do not count against your child&#8217;s attendance <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">record for state reporting. These include:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u25cb Religious observance<br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u25cb College visits (up to 3 days per school year for 11th and 12th graders)<br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u25cb &#8220;Take Our Children to Work Day&#8221;<br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u25cb Participation in Veterans Day observance or district board of election activities<br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u25cb School busing district closure preventing transportation<br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u25cb One civic event per school year (with prior notice and documentation)<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><br \/><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Locally-Excused Absences (DO Count Towards Chronic Absenteeism for State Reporting):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Our <\/span>school recognizes that there are other valid reasons for a student to miss school. We will excuse these\u00a0<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">absences for local purposes, meaning your child can still make up missed assignments and tests without\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">immediate penalty.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Examples of locally-excused absences include:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u25cb Family critical illness or death<br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u25cb Examination for a driver&#8217;s license<br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u25cb Absences consistent with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 accommodation plan<br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u25cb Student suspension from school\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>What is an Unexcused Absence?<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Any absence that is not listed as a state-excused or locally-excused reason is considered unexcused. Examples include <\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">student illness<\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, family travel, or leaving school without permission. Think of these like &#8220;sick days&#8221; you might have at work. If your child is sick, we understand they need to stay home. However, it is crucial to understand that <strong>these absences still contribute to your child&#8217;s overall attendance record for state reporting on chronic absenteeism and locally for loss of credit<\/strong>. The good news is that your student is allowed eight (8) unexcused absences in a semester course and sixteen (16) unexcused absences in a year-long course before they lose credit. We want your child in school as much as possible, but this new policy does allow for these allotted \u201csick days\u201d (unexcused absences) for illness and doctor visits.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>How Many Absences Are Allowed?<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Chronic Absenteeism:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> A student is considered &#8220;chronically absent&#8221; if they miss 10% or more of their enrolled school days for any reason other than a state-excused absence (this includes locally-excused and unexcused absences). This is a key measure used by the state to identify students who may need extra support, and it&#8217;s an area we are actively working to improve as a school.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Loss of Course Credit:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> While we understand that student illness is often unavoidable, accumulating too many absences can impact course credit. A student may be denied course credit if they have been absent from: \u25cb More than eight (8) unexcused absences in a semester course \u25cb More than sixteen (16) unexcused absences in a year-long course.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b style=\"color: revert;font-size: revert\">Tardies\/Lates: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tardies \u2013 <\/span><b style=\"color: revert;font-size: revert\">*3 tardies = 1 absence*<br \/><\/b>\u25cb 5 minutes or less late = Tardy = student issue will not be entered into ASPEN<br \/>\u25cb (<b style=\"color: initial\">L<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">) 6-26 minutes late \u2013 unexcused late : will be entered as \u201c<\/span><b style=\"color: initial\">Late<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201d in ASPEN with staff tracking time of arrival. (<\/span><b style=\"color: initial\">3<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">) lates = Unexcused Absence.<br \/><\/span>\u25cb (<b style=\"color: initial\">A<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">) 27 or more minutes late \u2013 unexcused absence :\u00a0 entered as \u201c<\/span><b style=\"color: initial\">Absent<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201d into ASPEN with staff tracking time of arrival.<br \/><\/span>\u25cb <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Refer to the <\/span><span style=\"color: #0000ff\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nhvweb.net\/nhhs\/athletics\/parentstudenthandbook\/files\/2025\/07\/Code-of-Conduct-Regulation-Feb-2020.pdf\"><b>Code of Conduct<\/b><\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> or <\/span><a style=\"font-size: revert\" href=\"http:\/\/www.nhvweb.net\/nhhs\/athletics\/parentstudenthandbook\/files\/2025\/07\/Policy-5113-Attendance-Absences-and-Excuses.pdf\"><b><span style=\"color: #0000ff\">5113 Student Attendance Policy<\/span><\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> for Discipline.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b> Extracurricular Activities:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Not meeting attendance standards may also result in your child being denied participation in extracurricular activities and athletic competitions. What To Do When Your Child Is Absent<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Notify the School Promptly: Please call (908-713-4120) or email <span style=\"color: #0000ff\">(<\/span><\/span><strong><a href=\"mailto:northattendance@nhvweb.net\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff\">northattendance@nhvweb.net<\/span><\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">) the attendance office early on the day your child will be absent to inform us of the reason.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Provide Documentation: It is essential to provide official documentation, such as a doctor&#8217;s note or other relevant records, for all absences. Even though these documented absences are still recorded as unexcused absences, recording the reason for the absence can be crucial if there are questions about truancy or loss of credit. We understand that sometimes absences are unavoidable. We encourage open communication between families and the school so we can work together proactively to address any attendance concerns. Our goal is to ensure every North Hunterdon High School student has the best opportunity to succeed. If you have any questions regarding these changes, please do not hesitate to contact the school administration or the attendance office.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At North Hunterdon High School, we believe that regular attendance is one of the most important keys to your\u00a0child&#8217;s success. When students are consistently in class, they learn more, build stronger connections with their\u00a0teachers and peers, and are better prepared for their future. This year, we are especially focused on reducing our chronic absenteeism rate, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":175,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":{"0":"post-439","1":"page","2":"type-page","3":"status-publish","5":"entry","6":"override"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nhvweb.net\/nhhs\/athletics\/parentstudenthandbook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/439","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nhvweb.net\/nhhs\/athletics\/parentstudenthandbook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nhvweb.net\/nhhs\/athletics\/parentstudenthandbook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nhvweb.net\/nhhs\/athletics\/parentstudenthandbook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/175"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nhvweb.net\/nhhs\/athletics\/parentstudenthandbook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=439"}],"version-history":[{"count":38,"href":"https:\/\/www.nhvweb.net\/nhhs\/athletics\/parentstudenthandbook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/439\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1443,"href":"https:\/\/www.nhvweb.net\/nhhs\/athletics\/parentstudenthandbook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/439\/revisions\/1443"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nhvweb.net\/nhhs\/athletics\/parentstudenthandbook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=439"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}