You may report absences by using the Online Daily Attendance Reporting Form or by leaving a message on the attendance line.
Report an absence by using the JBHS Online Daily Attendance Reporting: The form below may be used by parents/guardians to report absences, late arrivals, and/or early dismissals from school without the need to place a phone call to the attendance line. Same day reporting should be completed prior to 9:00 am on the date of the absence.
To get access to the form, be sure to log into the PowerSchool Parent Portal and look under “School Bulletins” at the left hand side.
There you’ll find a link to the form. Please fill this out with ample information so our attendance folks can properly record and code your student’s attendance.
Call the Attendance Line at 203-938-2508 Extension 1222
- Leave a message on the Attendance Line at 203-938-2508, Extension 1222 or by Dialing Option 2
REPORTING ABSENCES: QUICK REFERENCE (See the descriptions that follow for more detailed explanations and exceptions to the general rules.)
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TYPE OF ABSENCE
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ACTION NEEDED
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Illness or unanticipated family emergency
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A parent/guardian must call and leave a message on the JBHS attendance line:
203-938-2508 dialing option 2 or extension 1222.
Call prior to 9 am on the day of the absence.
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Medical appointment, religious observance, court appearance, or college visit
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A parent/guardian must call and leave a message on the JBHS attendance line:
203-938-2508 dialing option 2 or extension 1222.
Call prior to the date of the absence.
If not able to call the day before, the student must provide a doctor’s note, court summons, etc. for the absence to be excused.
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Mental health wellness days
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A parent/guardian must call and leave a message on the JBHS attendance line:
203-938-2508 dialing option 2 or extension 1222.
Call prior to 9 am on the day of the absence.
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Family vacation, an extended trip, or a similar event
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A parent/guardian must…
Write to the student’s assistant principal at least five days prior to the planned absence(s).
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Tardy to school/late arrival
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A parent/guardian must call and leave a message on the JBHS attendance line:
203-938-2508 dialing option 2 or extension 1222.
Call prior to the day of the late arrival.
If not able to call the day before, the student must provide a doctor’s note, court summons, etc. for the late arrival to be excused.
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Early dismissal
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A parent/guardian must call and leave a message on the JBHS attendance line:
203-938-2508 dialing option 2 or extension 1222.
Call prior to the day of the early dismissal.
If not able to call the day before, the student must provide a doctor’s note, court summons, etc. for the early dismissal to be excused.
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REPORTING ABSENCES
To report an absence due to illness or unanticipated family emergency:
A parent/guardian must call and leave a message on the JBHS attendance line at 203-938-2508 by dialing option 2 or extension 1222. To be excused, the message must be left either the evening before or prior to 9:00 a.m. the day of the absence.
To report an anticipated absence, such as medical appointments, religious observance, court appearance, or college visit:
A parent/guardian leaves a message on the attendance line at 203-938-2508 extension 1222 or by dialing option 2. To be excused, the message must be left prior to the day of the absence; or, if the message is left the day of the absence, then a doctor’s note or documentation of a college visit, court appearance, or other commitment must be provided to the school.
To report an absence from school for a vacation, trip or similar case:
A parent/guardian writes to the student’s assistant principal five school days before the date of the planned absence so that the request can be reviewed and processed. Please note, in accordance with Section 10-210 of the Connecticut General Statute, because a request for family vacations, trips and similar cases is not included in the list of types of absences that are considered excused by the CT General Statute, any of the student’s absences beyond nine for the school year cannot be excused and will be recorded as unexcused. To be excused, all absences for the purposes of vacations or other personal business trips must have prior approval to be excused.
To report an absence for mental health wellness days:
A parent/guardian must call and leave a message on the JBHS attendance line at 203-938-2508 by dialing option 2 or extension 1222. To be excused, the message must be left either the evening before or prior to 9:00 a.m. the day of the absence.
During the Connecticut 2021 Legislative Session, new legislation was introduced related to mental health days for students. Public Act 21-46 allows any child in grades K-12 up to two, non-consecutive, “Mental health wellness” days each school year. A mental health wellness day is defined as a school day on which a student attends to the student’s emotional and psychological well-being instead of attending school.
These wellness days are categorized as "parent excused" and do not count toward the nine days that parents can excuse their child from school each year. Schools are required to track reasons for all absences.
REPORTING TARDIES
A parent/guardian must call and leave a message on the JBHS attendance line at 203-938-2508 by dialing option 2 or extension 1222 informing the school of the time and reason for the late arrival. To be excused, the message must be left prior to the day of the late arrival; or, if the message is left the day of the absence, then a doctor’s note or documentation of the commitment that caused the student to arrive late must be provided to the school. Car troubles, speeding tickets, parent/guardian or sibling lateness, oversleeping, power failures, and family responsibilities, though unforeseen, are not emergencies and are not considered excused. Documented emergencies involving serious illness or a car accident may be excused on a case-by-case basis by an administrator on the day of the occurrence. When arriving late to school, the student must sign in at the security office and receive an excused pass to enter class or study hall.
REPORTING EARLY DISMISSALS
A parent/guardian must call and leave a message on the JBHS attendance line at 203-938-2508 by dialing option 2 or extension 1222 informing the school of the time and reason for the early dismissal. When the early dismissal will only cause the student to miss a non-instructional period, notification by 9:00 a.m. is sufficient. When an instructional period will be missed as a result of the early dismissal, the message must be left prior to the day of the late arrival; or, if the message is left the day of the absence, then a doctor’s note or documentation of the commitment that caused the student to leave early must be provided to the school. When leaving early from school, the student must sign out at the security office.
STEPS STUDENTS SHOULD TAKE WHEN ABSENT
When absent, especially due to an extended illness, students should complete the following steps:
- Email your counselor in Student Service
- Email your teachers to verify the work needed to be made up and to create a timeline for completion.
Communicating together and following these steps will help ensure a smooth transition back to school.