Mr. Thomas O'Donnell, Attendance Officer

 Phone: 908-243-1547
EMAIL: todonnell@somervilleschools.org

SHS Attendance Reporting Procedures
Parents reporting a child absent are asked to contact the attendance office at 908-243-1547 or
email shsattendance@somervilleschools.org prior to 7 a.m. on the day of the absence. Please
state the name and grade of your child, the date, and reason for the absence. If our health
office staff has additional questions, you will receive a phone call back.

1. Call the attendance line before 7 a.m. at 908-243-1547 to report the absence.

2. Clearly state the students name, grade, your relationship, and the reason for the absence. Please SPELL the last name.

3. Send a NOTE to the Attendance Office explaining the absence when the student returns to school.

4. If the student is going to be absent for an extended length of time, send a note and/or email to the Attendance Office, his/her Guidance Counselor and the Nurse.

5. For students with chronic condition forms on file with the health office, parent/guardian must call the health office to report a “chronic” absence.

6. ALL UNEXCUSED ABSENCES from classes missed count toward credit retention.

1. Late students must report to the Attendance Office to sign in and receive a late pass.

2. The student needs a parent/guardian NOTE indicating the reason for being late and his/her student ID card.

3. Students MAY NOT WRITE OR SIGN THEIR OWN NOTES.

4. The school reserves the right to call the parent/guardian to verify all notes.

5. A detention will be assigned when the student is late as per student handbook.

6. ALL UNEXCUSED ABSENCES from classes missed due to lateness count toward credit retention.

1. The student brings a parent/guardian signed note to the Main Office at the beginning of the day of dismissal.

2. The note should state the student’s name, time of dismissal, who is picking them up and the reason for dismissal.

3. The student will receive a pass to report to the Main Office at the time stated.  We DO NOT call the student from class.

4. The parent/guardian, or other person stated on the note meets the student in the Main Office to sign him/her out.

5. SENIOR STUDENTS, with transportation do not need a parent/guardian to sign them out.

6. Students MAY NOT WRITE THEIR OWN NOTES, no matter what their age.

7. A student will not be released based on a telephone call.

8. The school  has the right to call the parent/guardian to verify all early dismissals.

9. ALL unexcused absences from classes missed due to early dismissal count toward credit retention.

1. It is the student’s responsibility to retrieve any items dropped off for them.

2. The staff is NOT responsible for notifying your child OR for keeping track of any items dropped off.