Attendance Policy

Minimum Attendance Policy - Rationale

Education is the interaction and exchange of ideas among members of a group. At Briarcliff, we believe that teaching must involve the encouragement of active student engagement in the process of learning; one of our objectives is to nurture students’ abilities to contribute collaboratively and cooperatively. Daily class attendance is a requisite for success in school. Furthermore, New York State law requires that students attend school regularly and that parents be responsible for their children’s attendance at school on the days/hours that the public schools are in session. In order to maximize our students’ chances for success, it is necessary that the school and family work jointly to assure that students attend their classes daily. Medical and dental appointments and visits to colleges should be scheduled during off-school hours.

High School Attendance

Parents are requested to notify the school using School Pass, or call the school on the day of every absence (914-769-6299) and follow the telephone prompts between 7:30 and 8 a.m. Any student arriving after the beginning of first period should report to the Main Office and obtain an admission pass to his/her class. If a student wishes to be excused early, he/she must submit a written request signed by the parent/guardian or a parent call placed to the high school main office.

The High School administration and faculty are concerned about the missed days of instructional time caused by lateness, appointments, vacations during school and students remaining home to prepare for tests. Students should not be absent from school for such reasons, and parents’ cooperation is requested in this important matter. In fact, teachers will be offering a greater weight to class participation.