Attendance

Students are considered tardy when: 

• Arrival – Students are not allowed in the building before 7:40 a.m. Please do not drop your child off at school prior to 7:40 am. Students who must be transported to school by their parents/guardians and arrive prior to 8:00 a.m. are to report directly to homeroom.  All students should be present and seated in their homerooms by 8:00 am.
• Late Arrival – Students must report to the attendance office to sign-in and receive a late pass.  Any students arriving close to the start of homeroom (approx. 8:00 am.) must report directly to the attendance office.
• Homeroom – Homeroom is very important in that legal attendance is taken for the day and general announcements are made during this time.
• Tardy - Tardies are only considered excused for situations outlined in the Attendance Policy.

Parents/Guardians should notify the Attendance Office of any student absence. Please include the first and last name of the student, grade level, and reason for the absence.

• Email: Parents/guardians may email Michele Gray at graym@krsd.us to report their child absent from school. Please include your name, child’s name, grade level and reason for absence.
• Phone: (856) 467-3300, press 2. (Please leave message:  your name, child’s name, grade level and reason for absence).
• A School Messenger notification is sent out regarding every student absence, even if the Attendance Office has already been notified. The notification is sent via the option chosen by the parent/guardian for all other notifications: phone, text and/or email.
• Students that are absent from school may not partake in any after school activity.

When picking up a student prior to regular dismissal time, advanced notification is requested to minimize disruption in the classroom.  Parents/guardians or the person designated to pick up the student must always come into the building and show their ID to the Attendance Officer.  Please note that a student cannot leave the school without permission from the parent or guardian even if they are 18 years of age.  The only exception is if the student is 18 years old and is emancipated from the parent/guardian.

Parents will be asked to show identification prior to picking up their child. If someone other than a parent/guardian is picking up a child, written documentation is required. This written documentation must be in the form of an email sent to graym@krsd.us from the verified parent/guardian email address on file for the student.

Students, who are returning to school after being signed out earlier in the day, must sign in with the Attendance Officer and receive a pass to return to class.  Please provide the office with documentation (doctor’s note, etc.) to have the time out of class excused (time away from school is excused per the Attendance Policy).   

Please be advised that vacation taken while school is in session will be considered as an unexcused absence.  However, if the vacation is unavoidable, the student should follow the procedure below:

Please be advised that vacation taken while school is in session will be considered as unexcused. However, if the vacation is unavoidable, the student is required to obtain work from his/her teachers. The student must follow the steps below:

1. At least one week prior to vacation come to the attendance office with parent/guardian written notice and pick-up vacation form.
2. Take vacation form to each teacher to obtain work. Teachers will initial off on form to confirm talking with student. Work given to the student prior to the vacation must be completed upon returning to school or arrangements made with teachers prior to leaving.
3. Promptly return vacation form to attendance office once all teachers have initialed.

A copy of the completed vacation form will be given to the student to take home. The time lost will count toward the eight (8) unexcused absences.

The following reasons are considered an excused absence upon verification of documentation (documentation should be submitted immediately following an absence):

1. Medical quarantine and days relating to sickness/wellbeing as documented by a licensed medical practitioner specifying date(s) of absence. Please note vacation days and sick days without a note from a licensed medical practitioner are considered unexcused.
2. Documented chronic illness verified by a medical doctor’s note, provided a parent note is presented within five (5) days after the student’s return to school.
3. Death in the immediate family.
4. Religious holidays according to N.J.S.A 18A:46-14-15 and N.J.A.C. 6:20-1-3 (j), upon presentation of a written excuse signed by a parent or guardian on return to school.
5. Upon review and prior approval from Administration, college visitation or a meeting with a military recruiter will be excused upon receipt of proper documentation (up to 3 days per school year only for students in grades 11 and 12).
6. Driver’s Test, doctor/dentist appointment, or job interview will be considered an A.M. or P.M. excused absence pending proper documentation.
7. Take Your Child to Work Day
8. Court Ordered Appearance
9. Emergencies or other unusual circumstances will be considered at the discretion of the Principal.

School officials generate attendance letters at the following thresholds in an effort to communicate with parents/guardians and students:

• 1st Letter – Student has reached 5 unexcused absences
• 2nd Letter – Student has reached 8 unexcused absences
• 3rd Letter – Student has reached 12 unexcused absences

Any student attending Kingsway Regional Middle School or High School full-time, who exceeds eight (8) unexcused days absent in a school year and any student attending Kingsway Regional High School on a shared basis at a vocational school who exceeds six (6) unexcused days absent in a school year will be denied credit for all courses taken at Kingsway.