The Goshen Central School District is an active partner with students and parents in the task of ensuring that all students meet or exceed the New York State Learning Standards. The school district recognizes that consistent school attendance, academic success, and school completion have a positive correlation, the School District has developed a Comprehensive Student Attendance Policy.
Policy #5100 – Comprehensive Student Attendance
Students are expected to be in school unless there is a legitimate LEGAL EXCUSE for the absence.
Letters will be automatically sent home when a student is absent 5 days (Informational), 10 days (Initial Warning), 15 days (Formal Notice), 20 days (Final Warning), 21+ days (Attendance Review)
PARENT’S ROLE IN ATTENDANCE:
Please call the school attendance office the night before or the morning of your child’s absence. You may also choose to email or send in a hand written note on the day your child returns to school. We depend on you to notify us of all absences. If we do not receive notification the absence will be unexcused.
- GHS – 845-615-6100/ghs.attendance@gcsny.org
- CJH – 845-615-6372/cjh.attendance@gcsny.org
- GIS – 845-615-6520/gis.attendance@gcsny.org
- SAS – 845-615-6603/sas.attendance@gcsny.org
Please remember all forms of communication must contain the following information:
- Full name of student and grade
- Date(s) absent
- Reason for absence or tardiness
- Parent or Guardian signature/ Relationship to the student
- Phone number for reaching the parent/guardian’s home/work
EXCUSED ABSENCES, TARDINESS, OR EARLY DEPARTURE:
- Personal illness (generates a letter for informational purposes only)
- Family death (3-5 days excused for immediate family, for extended time documentation must be provided)
- Required court attendance (must provide documentation)
- Co-op work program (approved)
- Education visitation -3 junior year & 3 senior year (must provide documentation)
- Religious observance
- Military obligations
- Medical appointments (must provide a doctor’s note) will generate a letter for informational purposes. We highly encourage appointments to be made outside of school hours when possible.
- UNEXCUSED ABSENCES, TARDINESS, OR EARLY DEPARTURE: Any reason that does not fall into the above categories (e.g., family vacation, missed bus, wedding, no child care, no transportation, babysitting, hair cut, obtaining learner’s permit, road test, oversleeping, did not want to attend school)
A record of each student’s presence, absence, tardiness, and early departure shall be kept in a register of attendance in a manner consistent with Commissioner’s Regulations. An absence, tardiness, or early departure will be entered as “excused” or “unexcused” along with the District code for the reason.
All students are expected upon their return to school to consult with their teachers regarding missed work.
TARDY TO SCHOOL:
GCSD tries to instill in each of its students the importance and necessity of being on time for school. Students are tardy if they arrive after the building’s posted start time of the school day. A note signed by a parent/guardian indicating the reason for the late arrival must be presented at the time a student signs in. If a note is not presented the tardy arrival will be unexcused.
LATE TO CLASS:
All students are expected to be on time for class. If a student is detained in the office, or by a teacher, the student should ask for a pass from the person who detained them before going to their final destination. Students entering late without a pass will be subject to disciplinary action.
RELEASE FROM SCHOOL:
Parents are urged to schedule all appointments around the school day. If this is not possible, and you need to sign your child out of school, please check with your student’s building procedure. Here are a few guidelines:
- The day of the early dismissal, the student must have a signed note from the parent/guardian stating the reason for and time of dismissal.
- The note must be brought to the teacher/ attendance office in the morning, before the start of the day, so as not to interrupt the classroom teacher during instructional times during the school day.
- In most cases, the student will be given a pass to leave class and must report to the attendance office at the specified departure time.
- The parent/guardian must enter the building to sign their student out.
If the student returns to school, he/she must report back to the attendance office to sign in (no need for the parent/guardian to come back into the school at that time). Check with your students’ school for any additional building requirements for late arrival/early dismissal.
SENIOR PRIVILEGE – EARLY RELEASE/LATE ARRIVAL:
It is understood that early release and late arrival are program privileges and only seniors who meet the criteria will be eligible to participate. Further details can be found in the GHS Senior Privilege Late Arrival/Early Departure form which can be found in the Guidance Office upon request.
RELEASE OF A STUDENT WITH DRIVING/PARKING PRIVILEGES:
Parents and students are urged to schedule all appointments around the school day. If this is not possible, and your child needs to leave school from his/her assigned parking spot, in his/her own vehicle, the procedure is:
- The student must have his/her own vehicle registered with the school and legally parked in his/her assigned parking spot.
- The student must provide a note or email from the parent/guardian stating the reason for and time of dismissal.
- Notes must be brought to the attendance office in the morning, before first period, so as not to interrupt the classroom teacher during instructional times during the school day.
Students will be dismissed ONLY when all the above-mentioned requirements have been met. If the student returns to school, he/she must report back to the attendance office to sign in. Students are not permitted to drive any other students off school grounds during the school day.
STUDENT ATHLETE ADDITIONAL ATTENDANCE POLICY:
The Goshen High School student attendance policy for after school activities relating to athletic participation is as follows:
- Student athletes need to be present for 5 periods on a school day in order to participate in practice or games. This means that students must be in school by the end of 4th period (10:27am) with the current 9 period schedule.
- Students who are absent on a school approved field trip, family death, religious observance, military obligations or college visit (3 jr. and 3 sr. year) remain eligible to participate in games or practice on that day.
- Student athletes who qualify for state level NYSPHSAA postseason contests must maintain an 80% attendance rate at Goshen High School in order to participate.
- All Days in which a student athlete participates in an athletic contest conducted during normal school hours will be marked as an activity-excused absence.
Students will be dismissed ONLY when all the above-mentioned requirements have been met. If the student returns to school, he/she must report back to the attendance office to sign in. Students are not permitted to drive any other students off school grounds during the school day.
About Us Links
More Information
District families and employees will be notified of school closings, delays and early dismissals via recorded telephone messages, emails and/or text messages through the Parent Square notification service. Please note that power outages may affect the district’s weather-related notification systems. Learn more about how the district uses Parent Square.
Local Radio Stations
Closings, delays and early dismissal information will be announced on the following radio stations:
- WPDH – 101.5
- The Wolf – 97.7 / 97.3 / 105.5
- WRRV – 92.7 / 96.9
Please do not call the bus garage about closings. Those phone lines must be kept free for emergency calls; this can be especially critical in bad weather.