The Board of Education of the Shoreham-Wading River Central School District recognizes that regular school attendance is a major component of academic success and that the responsibility for educational success rests with the student, the parent, and the school. It is the responsibility of parents to ensure that students arrive at school on time, prepared to work, and remain in school for the entire day. Classroom lessons and participation foster social interaction, development of effective communication skills, and critical thinking. Any absence is detrimental to the learning process. The scheduling of vacations while school is in session is strongly discouraged.

Excused and Unexcused Absences

Excused absences, tardiness, and early departures (ATEDs) are defined as being due to personal illness, illness of death in the immediate family, approved family emergency, religious observance, required court appearance, medical appointments, approved college visits (students must provide documentation of the visitation on college letterhead), and approved school activities including educational travel. Excused tardiness includes all of the above and inclement weather.

All other ATEDs are unexcused. All ATEDs must be accounted for and class work made up (as stipulated in this policy). It is the responsibility of the parent to notify the school office of the reason for the ATED, within 24 hours by phone or in writing. If after three school days the school has not been notified of the reason for absence, the absence will be considered unexcused.

Grade and Credit Consequences

The District continues to support a no-cut policy. Students are expected to attend all scheduled classes. Upon their return to school, all students with an excused ATED will be counseled by their teachers or appropriate staff regarding missed work. Consistent with the importance of classroom participation, unexcused and unmade-up ATEDs will affect a student’s grade.

A high school student who has more than nine (9) absences in a semester course, and eighteen (18) absences in a full year course, will receive no credit for that course. Being late three times is the equivalent of (1) absence. Staff will contact parents when a student has reached four (4) absences in a semester course, and six (6) and 12 absences in a full-year course. At the elementary level and middle levels, when a student has an unexcused absence, it is the responsibility of the parent to pick up missed work and supervise its completion.

Appeals

A high school student who has exceeded the number of allowable ATEDs for a course may request a review of his/her attendance and appeal the loss of credit at the conclusion of the course.

With the safety of the children in mind, no pupil will be allowed to leave the school grounds at any time during the day. Written permission from the parent or guardian is required before a child will be allowed to leave school any time prior to the termination of the school day.

A child may be released prior to the end of the school day providing the child submits a note to the teacher from the parent or guardian stating the reason for early dismissal and the time the child is to be dismissed. The note should also mention the person who is to pick up the child if they are someone other than the parent or guardian. All such dismissals will be from the office of the school. The person who is to pick up the child must report to the office in order to sign the release sheet. Children who must be released from school early because of illness or injury will be released in the custody of the parent or guardian only. In an emergency a child may be released in the custody of the person named on the emergency address form.

Please click here to view the Code of Conduct PDF.

It is the goal of the Shoreham-Wading River Central School District to educate students to their potential. In order to do this effectively, each member of the school community is expected to treat all others with dignity and respect.

A discipline policy has been developed with this goal in mind. It includes a description of the rights and responsibilities of students, as well as a code for student behavior.

The Board of Education’s goal is to provide an environment in which a student’s rights and freedoms are respected. The Board therefore assures District students that they shall have all the rights afforded them by federal and state constitutions, statutes and regulations. The Board also recognizes all federal, state and local laws in connection with these rights, and reminds students that certain responsibilities accompany these rights. It shall be the right of each District student:  

1. To have a safe, healthy and orderly school environment;
2. To take part in all District activities on an equal basis regardless of race, gender, religion, national origin, or disability;
3. To attend school and participate in school programs unless suspended from instruction and participation for legally sufficient cause as determined in accordance with due process of law;
4. To have school rules and conditions available for review and, whenever necessary, explanation by school personnel;
5. To Have the means to anonymously report violations of the Code of Conduct.
6. To be suspended from instruction only after his/her rights pursuant to Education Law §3214 have been observed; and
7. In all disciplinary matters, to have the opportunity to present his/her version of the facts and circumstances leading to imposition of disciplinary sanctions to the professional staff member imposing such sanction.

It shall be the responsibility of each District student:

1. To be familiar with and abide by all District policies, rules and regulations pertaining to student conduct;
2. To work to the best of their ability in all academic and extracurricular pursuits and strive toward the highest level of achievement possible;
3. To conduct themselves, when participating in or attending school-sponsored extracurricular events, as a representative of the District and as such hold himself/herself to the highest standards of conduct, demeanor, and sportsmanship, and accept responsibility for his/her actions;
4. To seek help in solving problems that might lead to discipline procedures;
5. To be in regular attendance at school and in class;
6. To contribute to the maintenance of an environment that is conducive to learning and to show due respect to other persons and to property;
7. To dress in accordance with standards promulgated by the Board of Education and the Superintendent;
8. To make constructive contributions to the school, and to report fairly the circumstances of school-related issues;
9. To report all acts and/or threats of violence, including threats of suicide, of which they are aware by reporting such incidents to the school hotline, a faculty member, or the building administrator; and
10. To bring to the attention of the appropriate faculty member or building administrator any other action that might be harmful to students, i.e., drug use in buildings, students carrying inappropriate objects (weapons), or anything that might cause harm to another student.