Cardinal Rules

A healthy community requires a climate of mutual respect and concern for others. The school, in the interest of developing independence of thought and action, gives students the freedom to make choices about where to go and what to do with unassigned time. That freedom is possible because the vast majority of students assume the responsibility to respect people, property and all school rules. For those who do not show such respect, disciplinary action will be taken.

The behaviors described on the following pages are unacceptable and lead to disciplinary action. School rules apply to all school-sponsored activities, including dances, field trips and school athletic events, wherever they occur. When students are being disciplined, their conversation with a school administrator is an informal hearing. Students have the right to know what rules they have broken and have the opportunity to present the facts, as they know them. Students and parents have due process rights, except in cases of emergency when the school must act immediately to protect someone’s health or safety.

Suspension/expulsion from school is considered a serious action. Before suspending or expelling a student, school administrators consider the student’s history, the specific circumstances and the impact on the school community. While suspended or expelled, a student may not participate in any school activities or be present on school grounds. Students assigned to “in-school” suspension work in the in-school suspension room as directed by the House Administrator and may not participate in school activities on the date of the in-school suspension.

When a student is suspended, Connecticut General Statute section 10-233c(e), requires the Greenwich Public School system to place a copy of the suspension letter in a student’s cumulative educational folder. The document will be removed from the student’s permanent educational record upon the student’s graduation, except if the student is expelled for carrying or using a dangerous weapon. The school, with the advice of legal counsel, will define a dangerous weapon. If a weapon is involved, the expulsion remains permanently in the student’s cumulative folder. Expulsion requires a hearing before the Board of Education or a panel designated by the Board of Education. See also Suspension and Expulsion/Due Process (5114)

Misbehavior not covered by these guidelines will be dealt with according to administrative judgment. If it appears that a law has been broken, offenders are referred to the police. If a law has been broken by a student off school grounds, the police will inform the school system of the infraction. Prohibited conduct that occurs off school grounds may lead to consequences including suspension and/or expulsion if the conduct is seriously disruptive to the educational process and violates school policy. Parents are notified of referrals to the police and must be present during police questioning if the student is 15 years old. Students 16 – 17 years of age have the right to have a parent, guardian, or suitable person present during police questioning or may waive this right.

Student Behavior

Behavior Guidelines

Behavior Guidelines are all reflected in the following procedure:

Appropriate behavior is expected from all students. It is the responsibility of the professional staff to be knowledgeable about and to use techniques used to reinforce positive behavior and enable students to develop self-discipline and respect for the rights of others. In cases where student conduct endangers persons or property, seriously disrupts the educational process, or violates a published rule of the school or policy of the Board of Education, students will be subject to removal from class, suspension, or expulsion from school.

Teachers may remove from class students who deliberately disrupt the educational process in the classroom. It is the Board’s intention suspension from classes and from school privileges, including transportation, be used only for serious disciplinary offenses.

An administrative conference and/or parent conference is possible for each of the behaviors in the table below. *Community Service/Saturday Detention can be a consequence at the discretion of school personnel.*

See also Conduct and Discipline (5131)

Behavior	Possible Consequences
Arson	Suspension, Expulsion, Police Referral
Bias Referral	Mental Health Referral, Suspension, Expulsion, Police Referral
Bullying/Cyberbullying	Warning, Detention, Suspension, Mental Health Referral, Expulsion, Police Referral*
Class Cutting	Loss of Privileges, Detention, Suspension, Academic Consequences
Creating or participating in a disturbance	Loss of Privileges, Detention, Suspension, Expulsion, Police Referral*
Disruptive behavior	Detention, Suspension*
Extortion	Suspension, Expulsion, Police Referral, Mental Health Referral
False Alarm	Suspension, Expulsion, Police Referral
Fighting, Assault, Violent Behavior	Suspension, Expulsion, Police Referral, Mental Health Referral*
Fireworks (including smoke/stink bombs)	Suspension, Expulsion, Police Referral
Food Theft	Restitution, Notify Parent, Suspension, Police Referral
Gambling	Detention, Suspension, Police Referral*
Harassment	Warning, Detention, Suspension, Mental Health Referral, Expulsion, Police Referral*
Hazing	Detention, Suspension, Mental Health Referral, Expulsion, Police Referral*
Ignoring an order or request of a staff member	Loss of Privileges, Detention, Suspension
Inappropriate Attire	Administrative Conference
Inappropriate Behavior	Warning, Detention, Suspension*
Insubordination	Loss of Privileges, Detention, Suspension*
Involvement with Drugs or Alcohol	Suspension, Expulsion, Police Referral, Mental Health Referral, Substance Abuse Assessment
Laser Pointer	Detention, Parent Conference, Suspension, Police Referral
Leaving Campus (except seniors with permission)	Loss of Privileges, Detention*
Misrepresentation (giving a false name)	Detention, Suspension*
Misuse of Buildings and Grounds	Detention, Suspension, Restitution, Police Referral*
Misuse of Electronic Devices	Confiscation, Parent Conference, Suspension*
Referral Form from Staff	Warning, Detention, Suspension*
Refusal to Identify Self (ID or Schedule)	Detention, Suspension*
Rudeness, Vulgarity, Profanity	Loss of Privileges, Detention, Suspension*
Sale or Distribution of Drugs	Suspension, Expulsion, Police Referral
School Threats	Mental Health Referral/Assessment, Suspension, Expulsion, Police Referral
Sexual Misconduct	Mental Health Referral, Suspension, Expulsion, Police Referral
Tampering with Records or Materials (one example: forging signatures)	Suspension, Expulsion
Tardiness	Loss of Privileges, Detention
Theft	Suspension, Expulsion, Police Referral*
Threat of Violence to Others	Loss of Privileges, Detention, Suspension, Police Referral, Mental Health Assessment*
Threat of Violence to Self	Mental Health Assessment, Police Referral
Throwing Objects (including snowballs)	Detention, Suspension*
Use of Tobacco, Smoking Materials, Electronic Cigarettes	Parent Conference, Suspension, Mental Health Referral, Police Referral (see Vaping Protocol below chart for clarification)
Use or possession of firearms, deadly weapons, martial arts weapons	Suspension, Expulsion, Police Referral
Vandalism	Restitution, Suspension, Police Referral*
Violations of Academic Integrity	Administrative Conference, Loss of Assignment Credit, Suspension, Mental Health Referral
Violation of Responsible Computer Use Policy	Warning, Loss of Privileges, Suspension up to 10 days, Expulsion, Police Referral

Vaping Protocol:

When students are caught vaping or with paraphernalia (1) Vape is confiscated, (2) Vape is given to School Resource Officer for testing. If THC is found, it will result in a one day In School Suspension, SRO involvement with consequences, parent meeting, meeting with Liberation and a follow-up with House team. If no THC is found, First Infraction is a call home, Second Infraction is a parent meeting, meeting with Liberation and a followup with House team. Third Infraction is a one day in-school suspension, SRO involvement with potential consequences, meeting with Liberation and follow-up with House Team.

Mediation:

A number of Greenwich High School students have been trained to be peer mediators. If a student is concerned about an interpersonal conflict either for himself/herself or a friend, the student can see a House Administrator or social worker to request peer mediation. The students in conflict will be invited to a peer mediation session where two student mediators will help the students in conflict resolve their dispute. Additionally, if a student would like to be trained as a peer mediator, that student should see his/her House Administrator for additional information.

Disciplinary Consequences Defined

Administrative conference: Meeting with Administrator or Assistant Dean
Removal from Class: Student is removed from class and brought to the House Office for the remainder of the block
Loss of privileges: Student could be banned from the Student Center; banned from receiving a parking permit on the school campus; banned from co-curricular activities; student could lose open blocks and be required to report to a Learning Center.
After school detention: Student reports to the detention room at 3:30 p.m. sharp and remains there until 4:45 p.m. with quiet study materials.
In school suspension (ISS): Student reports to the in-school suspension room and spends the whole day there doing school work. Student is responsible for collecting work from teachers and is excluded from sports and school activities on the day/s of suspension.
Out of school suspension (OSS): Student stays home and is not allowed on school grounds. Student is responsible for all classwork missed and will be excluded from sports and other school activities while suspension is in place, for no more than 10 consecutive school days.
Expulsion: An exclusion from school or school privileges for more than 10 consecutive school days.
Re-entry conference: With Administrator, parent, student and support service staff as needed.

* In compliance with GPS policy, students in all grades, K-12, cannot be assigned physical activity as a form of punishment.

**STUDENTS SUSPENDED OR EXPELLED MAY NOT BE ON SCHOOL GROUNDS, PARTICIPATE IN ACTIVITIES, ATHLETIC PLAY OR PRACTICES OR PERFORMANCES ANYTIME DURING THE DATE(S) OF SUSPENSION OR EXPULSION. STUDENTS ARE ALLOWED TO MAKE UP ALL WORK MISSED DURING A SUSPENSION.**

Honor Code for Greenwich High School

OVerview:

Mutual trust, fairness, and intellectual honesty are central to the very nature of learning. These values represent the highest possible expression of shared beliefs among the members of the GHS community. As members of the Greenwich High School community, we believe these principles should be upheld at all times in order to foster an environment in which academic integrity is respected and valued.

Responsibilities:

Student Responsibilities:
- To understand the school Academic Integrity Policy and individual teacher assignment guidelines.
- To proactively seek clarification and communicate openly with teachers about any ambiguity regarding guidelines/expectations for all assignments.
- To maintain and support the academic integrity of the school community by completing all assigned work, activities, and assessments honestly and fairly without engaging in cheating or plagiarism.

Teacher Responsibilities:
- To maintain and support the academic integrity of the school community.
- To explain the use of permissible materials and collaboration in coursework.
- To clearly present the Academic Integrity Policy and individual teacher assignment guidelines and expectations, as outlined in the syllabus.
- To check student work for cheating or plagiarism through a variety of means, including but not limited to plagiarism-detection software such as Turnitin.com.
- To report any violation of the Academic Integrity Policy to take other appropriate action as set forth herein.
- To enforce appropriate consequences for Academic Integrity Policy violations.

Administrator and Assistant Dean Responsibilities:
- To maintain and support the academic integrity of the school community.
- To enforce appropriate consequences for Academic Integrity Policy violations.
- To maintain records of Academic Integrity Policy violations in the student’s disciplinary record.

Parent/Guardian Responsibilities:
- To support the academic integrity of the school community.
- To become knowledgeable of the school Academic Integrity Policy and individual teacher guidelines.

Pledge for Students:

On my honor, I pledge to uphold the Greenwich High School expectations of academic honesty and personal integrity. I further understand that failure to uphold this Policy subjects me to the consequences and penalties specified in the Greenwich High School Handbook.

Academic Integrity Procedure

Outlined below are guidelines for students concerning cheating and plagiarism as well as consequences for violations.

Academic Integrity means:

Producing your own thinking/writing for any work submitted including but not limited to an assignment, quiz, essay, or test.
Submitting your best work and meeting academic deadlines.
Keeping your work to yourself unless working on teacher authorized collaborative projects.
Appropriately citing all other sources, including study guides and Internet sites, from which you drew quotes, paraphrases, or ideas.

Cheating includes but is not limited to the following examples:

Copying from other students during an assessment.
Collaborating on a test, quiz, homework assignment, or project without the teacher’s authorization.
Possessing or using unauthorized materials during an assessment or to complete an assignment.
Programming of notes, formulas, or other aids into an electronic device without prior authorization.
Using a communication device or the Internet to obtain unauthorized information during an in-class or take-home assessment.
Using online or electronic translation devices without the teacher’s authorization.
Taking an assessment for another student or permitting someone else to take an assessment for you.
Allowing others to do research or writing of an assignment; e.g.,
- Using the assistance of another person (family member, friend(s), etc.) inappropriately.
- Having private tutors and/or outside resources/companies draft, dictate, or otherwise do work that the student should be completing on their own.
Submitting substantial portions of the same academic work for credit in more than one course without consulting the second teacher.
Using invented information or the falsification of facts, research, data, or other findings.
Using text or any other type of response written by a generation system as one’s own (e.g., entering a prompt into an artificial intelligence tool, such as ChatGPT, and using the output in a paper)

Plagiarism means:

Intentionally or unintentionally presenting another’s work/writing as your own.
Using direct quotes, paraphrases and specific ideas of another person without explicit appropriate attribution.
Obtaining and submitting work from Internet sources without proper citation.
Supplying/selling work to another.
Failing to properly credit sources (directly cited or paraphrased).

Procedure and Consequences for a Violation of Academic Integrity Policy:

Once the teacher determines that a violation of the GHS Academic Integrity Policy has occurred, the following steps will be taken:

Teacher conferences with the student to discuss what occurred.
Teacher submits a referral form and sends documentation of the violation to the House Assistant Dean.
The Assistant Dean will reach out to the teacher to communicate the level of the offense.
Teacher may confer with their Program Administrator.
Teacher will inform students and parents/guardians of the violation in a timely manner.
Teacher will confirm with AD that the parent/guardian was contacted.
Student will meet with the House Administrator or Assistant Dean.
Student and house team will engage in a reflective process.
House Administrator follows up with a letter to be sent home indicating the consequences.
The action is documented in the student’s disciplinary record and in Aspen as a visible comment to parents/guardians and students attached to the grade, specifically, “academic integrity violation.”

First Offense*

50% credit on the entire assignment. Assignments include projects, tests, quizzes, essays, homework, etc. Aforementioned procedures and consequences a)-g) will be followed and administered. In order for the student to receive a grade other than 50%, the teacher must consult with the student’s House Administrator for approval.

Second Offense

Zero on the entire assignment. Assignments include projects, tests, quizzes, essays, homework, etc. Aforementioned procedures and consequences a)-g) will be followed and administered with additions below.
Referral to House Administrator for two after school detentions.
Student/teacher/counselor/parent/guardian/House Administrator conference will occur.
Referral to the House Social Worker or Psychologist.

Third and Subsequent Offenses

Zero on the entire assignment. Assignments include projects, tests, quizzes, essays, homework, etc. Aforementioned procedures and consequences a)-g) will be followed and administered with additions below.
Referral to House Administrator for two after school detentions.
Student/teacher/counselor/parent/guardian/House Administrator conference will occur.
Referral to the House Social Worker or Psychologist.
Student will complete 5 hours of community service, location to be determined during the team conference.
Referral to the House Social Worker or Psychologist.

*Students accumulate offenses with each infraction during their time at GHS.

Dress Code

Students should dress within reasonable limits so that their dress does not jeopardize the health or safety of the wearers or others, or cause distraction or disruption of the educational process as determined by the administration. (Clothing which advertises drugs or alcohol is inappropriate for school wear.) GHS reserves the right to determine what constitutes dress that is disruptive to the educational climate or process. Footwear, shirts and pants/shorts must be worn at all times. Clothing should be neat and clean. Teachers may ask students to remove their hats during class time.

Student Center Rules

All students are required to wear their ID cards as well as access their schedules and present them upon request.
All food must be eaten at tables.
Students are required to clear tables of all trash, using appropriate barrels for recycling, before leaving the Student Center.
Students may not sit on the floor, on another student’s lap, on back of chairs, or on tables.
Belongings must not be left unattended.
Vulgar and profane language and loud and disruptive yelling are prohibited.
All aisles of passage, including areas around stairways, must remain clear.
No balls, hacky sacks, skateboards, frisbees or similar objects may be used inside the building.
Gambling is forbidden.
Students who wish to listen to personal music must use headphones.

Harassment/Threatening Behavior

Every child has the right to feel safe, valued, and comfortable in school. No one else’s behavior should ever make children feel afraid or embarrassed because of their color, their religion, the country in which they were born, their gender, their sexual orientation or disability. The Greenwich Public Schools has zero tolerance for harassment or threatening behavior of any kind.

Please teach your child that if he/she is harassed, bullied, =threatened, or sees harassment or threatening behavior happen to someone else, the behavior should be reported to a teacher or the principal. To maintain a positive and productive learning environment, the Board of Education and District officials will make every attempt to halt any harassment or threatening behavior by calling attention to this policy and/or by direct disciplinary action. For serious threats, disciplinary action will include notification of the superintendent or his/her designee, possible involvement of the Youth Division of the Greenwich Police Department, and/or suspension.

Reporting Systems

Preferred method of reporting - School Staff:

Students should report issues and concerns to any staff member, such as a teacher, counselor, assistant dean or trusted adult. Greenwich High School personnel will follow up with the students involved.

Rumors:

Occasionally students will hear rumors that may cause concern about safety and security at GHS. In such cases, it is important to contact an adult to assist in investigating such rumors and determining the appropriate cause of action.
A trusted teacher or security person may be able to help, but if possible, it is best to refer the matter to the appropriate House Administrator or counselor. House Administrators will be able to clear up any rumors or investigate the accuracy of what is being reported.

Anonymous Alerts:

Anonymous Alerts allows students or parents to anonymously submit any sensitive or urgent student issues quickly to school officials. Students or parents can submit reports such as bullying, cyber bullying, depression, dating violence, drug or alcohol use, threats against the school, weapons on campus and more. All messages submitted remain completely anonymous.

To send a report, either go to www.anonymousealerts.com/greenwichps or download the FREE anonymous Alert Apple iOS app or Android App. Login: gps and password: gps This is monitored on school days from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm

Gaggle:

The Greenwich Public Schools has a filtering system for student email. There are a large number of words and pictures which trigger a Gaggle response. Once a student's email is flagged, an email is sent to Greenwich Public School personnel to alert them. Greenwich High School personnel will follow up with the students involved. This is monitored on school days from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm

Flex Time & Advisor Base

Advisor Base is a scheduled time through which GHS ensures that each student is known by adult mentors in the school, other than the student's counselor. During this time, students will participate in activities to support their academic, personal and interpersonal growth, such as goal setting, course selection and college planning. Advisor Base will be held roughly one to two times a month on alternating Wednesdays. Advisor Base will take place from 8:30 - 8:55 am on those scheduled days. On days when Advisor Base is held, there will be no Flex Time.

Flex Time is one way through which GHS takes collective responsibility for the intellectual, physical, social, and emotional well-being of every student. This designated time at the end of each day is focused on providing a balance of academic, social, and civic opportunities to meet the needs of diverse learners. Flex Time is scheduled from 2:50pm – 3:15pm everyday, with the exception of Advisor Base days. Students may be scheduled by staff for meetings or extra help. After the first marking period progress reports, students will be able to schedule themselves for extra help or participate in enrichment activities. If a student's grade is a C- or below in a class when Progress Report and Marking Period grades are posted, students will automatically be assigned to Flex Time with their teacher.

Students are required to use the My Flex Learning platform to see their schedule and sign up for additional activities.

** Attendance in Advisor Base and Flex Time is mandatory and appropriate consequences will be issued to students who do not attend.

***Parents will be able to view their child's attendance for Advisor Base and Flex Time.

School Events

ASsemblies:

There are times when classes, grades, teams or the entire school may gather for assembly programs. These programs are arranged to bring information or educational enrichment to the student community. A student’s conduct in assemblies must meet the same standards as in the classroom.

Athletic Events:

The Student Athlete:

Will accept the responsibility and privilege the student-athlete has in representing their school and community by learning and showing teamwork, sportsmanship and discipline in all aspects of the game.
Will demonstrate respect for self, coach, teammates, opponents, officials and spectators by exhibiting good character and conducting themselves as a positive role model.
Will have a thorough knowledge of and abide by all rules of the game and CIAC.
Will always work for the good of the team.
Will cheer for your team, not against your opponent.
Will congratulate opponents in a sincere manner following either victory or defeat.

The Spectator:

Cheer for your team, not against your opponent.
Is expected show respect and courtesy to both players, fans, and coaches from both teams.
Should enjoy and acknowledge good performance from players on all teams.
Must respect the decisions of the officials and demonstrate self-control and restraint if they do not agree with a call made, recognizing that they, too, are human.
Must recognize that attending a high school athletic contest is a privilege to enjoy the contest, not a license to verbally assault officials or coaches.
Should congratulate players, coaches and fans from both sides following the contest.
Will refrain from using foul or abusive language.

Dances and other events that occur outside the school day:

The arrival time at school dances/events will be limited to one hour from the start time. Students will not be admitted to the dance/event after that time and will not be able to reenter a dance/event once they have left. Students will not be allowed to enter the dance/event with a backpack or any beverage bottles and all Cardinal Rules will be in effect. Please note all students seeking admission to Greenwich High School dances/events will be screened for alcohol through the use of a breathalyzer.

Field Trips:

Field trips may be scheduled for educational, cultural, or extracurricular purposes. Any student whose behavior is considered detrimental to the well-being of other students may be barred from participation by the Administration. While on a trip, all students are considered to be “in” school. This means that Cardinal Rules apply.

Attendance

General Overview of Attendance for GPS

Attendance information can be found in the following procedure:

A daily attendance record is kept for every student. All State regulations on student accounting will be strictly followed.

"Unexcused Absence" –any absence from a regularly scheduled school day for at least one half of the school day, which is not excused or considered a disciplinary absence.
"Excused Absence" – a student is considered excused from school if the school has received documentation describing the reason for the absence within ten (10) school days of a student’s return to school and the following criteria are met:

The student’s absences 1 through 9 are considered excused when the student’s parent/guardian approves such absence and submits to school officials appropriate written or telephoned documentation.
For the student’s 10th absence and all absences thereafter, a student’s absences from school are, with appropriate written or telephoned documentation, considered excused only for the following reasons:
- student illness (verified by an appropriately licensed medical professional)
- observance of a religious holiday
- mandated court appearances (documentation required)
- funeral or death in the family, or other emergency beyond the control of the student’s family
- extraordinary educational opportunities pre-approved by the district administrators in accordance with the Connecticut State Department of Education guidance
- lack of transportation that is normally provided by a district other than the one the student attends

Written Documentation Requirements:

Written documentation must be submitted/recorded for each incidence of absence within ten (10) school days of the student’s return to school. An incidence of absence is considered consecutive days of absence.
The first nine (9) days of absence will be excused upon receipt of a note confirming the absence from the student’s parent/guardian, a signed note from a school official that spoke in person with the parent/guardian regarding the absence, or a note confirming the absence by the school nurse or licensed medical professional, as appropriate.
For the student’s 10th absence and all absences thereafter, documentation of the absence must be submitted and must include the reason for the absence and the following additional information:

student illness: (1) signed note from a medical professional, who may be the school nurse, who has evaluated the student confirming the absence and giving an expected return date; or (2) signed note from school nurse who has spoken with the student’s medical professional and confirmed the absence, including the date and location of the consultation.
observance of a religious holiday
mandated court appearance: (1) police summons, (2) a subpoena, (3) a notice to appear, (4) a signed note from a court official, or (5) other official written documentation of the legal requirement to appear in court
funeral or death in the family, or other emergency beyond the control of the student’s family. Written documentation must be provided explaining the nature of the emergency.
extraordinary educational opportunity: written pre-approval from school administration
lack of transportation normally provided by a district other than the one the student attends

In order to qualify as an extraordinary educational opportunity, the opportunity must: (a) be educational in nature and must have a learning objective related to the student’s course work or plan of study, (b) be an opportunity not ordinarily available for this exemption, (c) be grade and developmentally appropriate, (d) include content that is highly relevant to the student. Students who are granted excusal from school to participate in extraordinary educational opportunities are expected to share their experiences with other students and/or school staff when they return. Family vacations do not qualify as extraordinary educational opportunities. All requests for approval of extraordinary educational opportunities must be submitted to the building administration in writing no later than ten (10) days prior to the opportunity except in exceptional circumstances at the discretion of the building administrator.

Attendance/Notification of Absences

It is the responsibility of parents/guardians to ensure compliance with the State’s compulsory school attendance requirements. (Conn. Gen. St. Sec. 10-184, 10-198a). Parents/guardians must contact the appropriate House Attendance if the student will not be in school. To report an absence, please call the following:

Bella 203-863-8883
Cantor 203-863-8847
Clark 203-625-8053
Folsom 203-987-1370
Sheldon 203-625-8065

GHS has an automated dialing service that calls home when a student has an absence recorded for that day. An email is sent home as well. If called out, students should not be on school grounds. Parents may not excuse students from any class if the student remains in the building. Any student found on campus during the time in which he or she has been excused will be subject to disciplinary action.

Connecticut state law requires parents to make sure that their children between the ages of 5 to 18 attend school regularly. A student must remain in school until age 18 unless the student graduates or gets written consent from a parent/guardian on a district-provided form to leave school at age 17.

Notifying the School of an Excused Absence Parents are asked to call the attendance office before noon if their child will be absent from school. This deadline is necessary for GHS to accurately enter the attendance information into our parent notification software. Parents who have unwittingly missed the noon deadline will be given a 24-hour grace period (i.e. before noon the next day) to call the house attendance secretary. If there is no phone call within the 24-hour grace period, the status of the absence will not be changed, and the student's absence will be considered unexcused.

Attendance Policy

Attendance is a critical element that supports teaching and learning. In classrooms, students contribute to class discussions, engage in discourse, are enriched by the synergy of multiple minds working as a team, and benefit from the direct instruction of a qualified teacher. Students learn from their classmates and contribute to the learning of others. We believe that consistent class attendance is vital to students' success. See also Attendance and Excuses (5113) & Attendance Regulation (5113R)

Types of Absences

The attendance policy of Greenwich High School recognizes three types of absences--no fault, unexcused and excused. No Fault Absences do NOT count towards credit loss. Unexcused and Excused Absences DO count towards credit loss.

No Fault Absences are for school related activities (field trips, suspension, standardized testing, athletic events, appointments scheduled by student support staff, and assemblies); they do not count towards loss of credit. Students are allowed to make up missed work and apply it to their grade in the class. Cardinal Rules and class grading rationales apply.
Unexcused Absences count toward loss of course credit. Students receive a grade of zero for all work missed or not handed in due to an unexcused absence. Cardinal Rules and class grading rationales apply.
Excused Absences count toward loss of course credit but allow for students to make up missed work and apply it to their grade in the class. Upon returning to school, students with valid excuses for missing class must meet with their teacher(s) and arrange how and when the student can make up the class work that was missed. Cardinal Rules and class grading rationales apply. Greenwich High School will only designate an absence as an excused absence if it falls into one of the following categories:
- Illness (Please see appeals process) ●
- Personal Business ●
- Death in the family – see FAQ ●
- Court appearance – see FAQ ●
- Religious holiday ●
- College visit (This is capped at 6 blocks per class. After that, the absences will be unexcused.) ●
- Medical appointments ●
- Family vacation or any other absence due to personal business 3+ days (With the signed extended absence form and the phone call ahead of time to attendance)
Three tardies equal one unexcused absence.
Students who are more than fifteen (15) minutes late for class will be considered to have an unexcused absence.

Thresholds

For a semester course or a yearlong course, credit will be lost on a semester basis. For a quarter long course, credit will be lost on a quarterly basis. During any one semester, for courses meeting

Six times per cycle: credit is lost on the eleventh (11) absence (excused and/or unexcused).
Seven times per cycle: credit is lost on the thirteenth (13) absence (excused and/or unexcused).
Eight times per cycle: credit is lost on the fifteenth (15) absence (excused and/or unexcused).

During any one semester, for courses meeting three times per cycle, credit is lost on the sixth (6) absence (excused and/or unexcused).

For a quarter class that meets three times per cycle, credit is lost on the fourth (4) absence (excused and/or unexcused).

For the purposes of attendance, three (3) tardies will equal one unexcused absence.

If the course is a semester or year-long course, then the loss will be for the semester in which the absences occur.

School-affiliated activities which cause absence from class (i.e., field trips, suspension, standardized testing, athletic events, appointments scheduled by student support staff and assemblies) are the only absences that do not count towards loss of credit.

Students new to the school (and therefore not in a course for its entirety) will have their attendance requirement pro-rated. Students changing courses (level changes, etc.) will continue their attendance record from the previous course.

Notifying the School of an Excused Absence

Parents are asked to call the attendance office before noon if their child will be absent from school. This deadline is necessary for GHS to accurately enter the attendance information into our parent notification software. Parents who have unwittingly missed the noon deadline will be given a 24-hour grace period (i.e., before noon the next day) to call the house attendance secretary. If there is no phone call within the 24-hour grace period, the status of the absence will not be changed, and the student's absence will be considered unexcused.

Appeals Process

Students with five or more unexcused absences per semester in any one course, or the equivalent number of tardies, forfeit the right to appeal. (For a single quarter course students with three or more unexcused absences per quarter will forfeit the right to appeal.)

The Attendance Policy is not designed to deny credit to students who, through no fault of their own, are unable to attend school or class due to illness or other conditions beyond the student’s/parents' control. In January and June, students who will be losing credit for the prior semester will have an opportunity to appeal. Additionally, students who have a doctor's note may, at any time, petition their house administrator for an immediate appeal. To be eligible for the appeal process, students must continue classroom responsibilities and attend class faithfully.

Timeline:

An announcement will be placed in the student bulletin and on the Greenwich High School website that will state the deadline to sign up for the appeal process. The Appeal Board will meet after school during the week of midterm exams and the week of final exams. Students who qualified for an appeal will be contacted on how to sign-up. If a student signs up to appeal and fails to attend the hearingthe appeal will be denied.

Attendance Board:

The Appeals Board will be constituted by the Vice Principal and be composed of: 3 classroom teachers, 1 student support services staff with the Vice Principal or Principal serving as the Chair of the Appeals Board

This board will hear cases and make decisions.
Appeals will be heard on a “first to sign up, first to be heard” basis.
Appeals will be heard during January for first semester loss of credit and June for second semester loss of credit. (A first semester loss of credit must be appealed in January; it may not be appealed in June.)
Decisions will be made within one week of the appeal. This board will notify parents, in writing, of its decision.
This board will not hear cases if the deadline for submitting the appeal request is missed.

Student responsibilities:

Students wishing to appeal will submit a written appeals request and supporting documentation to the Vice Principal by noon of the day that appeals requests are due.
The student must appear in person before the board at the time of the scheduled appeal; failure to do so will result in denial of the appeal.
The student may bring a parent or guardian to the hearing.
To be eligible for the appeals process the student must continue his/her classroom responsibilities and attend all classes faithfully.

Notifications:

Parents and students will receive an email and a phone call for each absence or tardy that counts toward possible loss of credit indicating the day and period of the absence/tardy.
This email will also indicate the history of absences and tardies that count toward possible loss of credit for each class.
At the halfway point of each marking period, parents and students will receive a letter indicating that a student is halfway or more toward tripping the threshold for loss of credit in a course.

At the house level, the Assistant Dean and the guidance counselors will work together to monitor students' attendance. The Assistant Dean and the Guidance Counselor will then take steps to meet with the student and parents to explore solutions.

Additional Attendance Info

Unexcused absences:

Unexcused Absences from a non-credit assignment such as learning center will earn a student afterschool detention(s).

Family Vacations and non-GHS athletic events:

3+ days Discretion should be used in planning family vacations and athletic events. The school strongly discourages family vacations during school time, 16 and travel should only be scheduled during school vacation periods. Please note that any absence due to vacation and non-GHS athletic events will be treated as any other non-school related absence from class and will, therefore, count toward loss of credit. Students and parents should realize that if extended absences contribute to excessive absence, an appeal for reinstatement of credit will not be possible. Extended absences with the signed extended absence form and the phone call ahead of time to attendance are excused absences; extended absences without the signed extended absence form and/or without the phone call ahead of time to attendance are considered unexcused absences. (The extended absence form is available in each house office. Students should see the house secretary well ahead of time to pick up the form. All of the student's teachers need to sign the form which is then returned to the house secretary.)

Students may not be called out of individual blocks during the school day. If circumstances cause a student to miss a single block, a student may file for appeal to the House Attendance Team (House Administrator and/or Assistant Dean). Such appeals must be made promptly (either the next day or the first day the student is back in school) and will address the status (excused absence, unexcused absence or no fault absence) of the particular block that is being appealed.

Medical Appointments:

Non-emergency doctor and dental appointments should be scheduled for after-school hours. If after-school arrangements are not possible, then written notice from the physician is required for the absence to be considered excused. This written note must be on letterhead, signed and dated and presented to the attendance secretary upon the student's return to school. Parents who have unwittingly neglected to provide their student with a note from the doctor will be given a 24-hour grace period (i.e. before noon the next day) to provide such a note to the house attendance secretary. If there is no doctor's note within the 24-hour grace period, the status of the absence will not be changed, and the student's absence will be considered unexcused.

Emergency Medical Appointments, Illness or Injury:

Visits to the school nurse will count as excused absences if the student brings a pass from the teacher.

Emergency medical appointments (accident, earache, etcetera) will be adjudicated by the House Attendance Team (House Administrator and/or Assistant Dean) on a case-by-case basis. See appeals process in Appendix A.

Students may not go home for illness or injury during the school day without going through the Nurse’s Office. The nurse, with parental agreement, will make the decision to dismiss the student from school. Missing class to go home without the permission of the nurse will cause any absences for illness to be unexcused.

Leaving School:

Any student who leaves school without the school's permission will be subject to disciplinary action and the absences will be considered unexcused. Students should not expect permission to go home for equipment, uniforms, projects, assignments, etc. If they have forgotten anything, they will have to miss the activity or call parents to bring the needed materials. Students who go on field trips must complete the field trip form and have all the necessary signatures. If the form is not completed, then the missed classes will be unexcused.

Student Support Staff Appointments:

Scheduled appointments with student support staff (guidance counselor, social worker, school psychologist) that are made by the faculty member will count as a no-fault absence. Students who do not return to class in a prompt manner as indicated on the pass will have an unexcused absence.

Student initiated appointments with a guidance counselor, social worker or school psychologist should occur during an open, a learning center or before or after school. In an emergency, the House Administrator or the Dean of Students can give permission for an unscheduled visit to a student support service provider (guidance counselor, school psychologist, social worker) to be identified as an excused absence.

Unscheduled drop-ins to see student support staff during class time will be unexcused.

College and Career Center:

College Admissions Representatives frequently come to speak with students in the College and Career Center and are here for approximately 40-45 minutes. Visits with college reps in the College and Career Center (for seniors and juniors) are No Fault— they do not count toward the loss of credit limit. However, seniors and juniors must get permission from their teacher in advance of the visit in order to receive a no-fault absence. In addition, juniors must also get permission and a pass from their school counselor and will be limited to two passes for the school year. All college rep visits are posted on Naviance and in the Update, so students can plan visits and obtain necessary permissions in a timely manner. Sophomores are encouraged to visit the College and Career Center, but only during their opens. They will not be granted permission to miss class. College visits, where a student visits a college campus, are Excused absences.

Errors in Attendance:

Students who believe that they have been incorrectly marked absent or tardy must see their teacher within 24 hours of the error. If an error has been made the classroom teacher will ensure the record is corrected. For any other errors please contact the house attendance secretary to have the record corrected.

Greenwich High School Alternative Program: Windrose

Windrose will establish their own attendance policy for classes taught within their programs.

Tardiness:

Students are to report to class on time. Any student arriving after the bell is considered tardy. Three (3) offenses of tardiness to any course, regardless of the number of minutes late, will constitute one unexcused absence. Students missing more than fifteen (15) minutes of a class are considered unexcused absent even if they attend the remainder of the class. Students who are more than 15 minutes tardy but less than 30 minutes tardy may hand in work during class for credit. Students who are 30 or more minutes late to class may not hand in work for credit.

Loss of Credit:

If credit is lost due to poor attendance, the student’s transcript will reflect the appropriate loss of credit. Students losing credit due to poor attendance will still earn a grade in the course. The grade is included in the student’s grade point average and may be used as a course prerequisite. A student who loses credit because of excessive absences should remain in that course to establish a prerequisite for future courses. Should a student receive a passing grade in a course in a sequence and lose credit toward graduation due to absences, this student will not need to repeat the course to move on in the sequence (i.e.: passing grade in Algebra 1 will allow the student to move on to Geometry). In addition, while a student can lose credit, the grade will be factored into the GPA (except for Wellness and PE courses). For the purposes of the GPA the full grade will count as if the loss of credit did not exist. On the transcript there will be a letter grade with an asterisk indicating a loss of credit. If/when a course is taken a second time, both courses (the first time the course was taken and the second time the course was taken) will be on the transcript. If a student does not have valid reasons for appealing loss of credit or if credit is not reinstated through the appeals process explained below, the student should contact his/her counselor to schedule the class for the following year/semester. Any student who had lost credit because of attendance will not be eligible for Honor Roll that semester.

Other:

If a senior loses credit for a course because of attendance during the senior year, then he/she will not be eligible for senior internship. A junior who loses credit for a course because of attendance during the junior year will not be eligible for a senior parking permit during first semester of his/her senior year.

Students should be aware that:

Teachers are responsible for taking and keeping accurate attendance records.
Teachers plan and schedule classes so that the class ends at the bell. Teachers will only write passes for a student in rare cases.
Resource room students who need additional time to work on tests or quizzes must find that time during Academic Lab, a learning center, an open, or before or after school. Teachers will only write passes for a student in rare cases.

Assignment Due Dates after Absense

Expectations for When Homework is Due following an Excused Absence:

Per the GHS Attendance Policy, students may make up any work missed due to an excused absence. If students are well enough and have the resources they need, we encourage them to make up missed work on the day the class meets. When students are unable to complete work missed because of an excused absence, they have one day to make up the work for each day missed. Students should always communicate with their teacher to discuss particular situations.

Truancy

A student from ages five to eighteen inclusive who has four unexcused absences in one month or ten unexcused absences in one year is considered truant.

When a student is truant, all the support services of the school are to be used to assist with the problem with particular emphasis on referral to Pupil Personnel Services staff, the Pupil Review Team and, if necessary, the Planning and Placement Team process. The school will coordinate services with and referrals of students to community agencies providing child and family services.

When none of these interventions is successful, and the parent or other person having control of a truant child fails to attend the required meeting with school personnel and/or fails to cooperate with the school in attempting to solve the truancy problem, the Superintendent or designee will refer the student to the Interagency Team (IAT) or Department of Children and Families (DCF).

Tardiness

If students arrive in class after the bell but within fifteen minutes of the beginning of the block, they are tardy. If they arrive in class more than fifteen minutes late, they will be considered absent. “Oversleeping,” “missing rides,” etc. are not acceptable excuses for lateness. Teachers will enforce appropriate disciplinary action: warning, notifying a parent. If the student is chronically tardy, the teacher will consult with student’s guidance counselor , Assistant Dean or House Administrator. Questions about the accuracy of school records should be directed to the House Administrator.

Vacations while in School

Loss of instruction caused by absences due to vacation is the responsibility of parents and students. Parents are urged to discuss the effects of school absence with the House Administrator before making plans for vacations that may occur during the school year. School cancellation days during the winter months may extend the date for the last day of school or may subtract days from the Spring Recess. Please consider the possibility that the school year may be extended through the last week of June when making summer plans. For procedures, please see Attendance Policy.