Overview of Important Policies and Procedures

READ AND BE IN THE KNOW

1.     TARDINESS: Board of Education policy 5200 mandates significant penalties for tardiness to school. A student will lose credit for any course to which he or she reports late 18 or more times during the course of the year. Parents: please plan to drop your child off no later than 7:55 AM, to allow adequate time to move to the first period class. Seniors who drive to school — plan accordingly to avoid putting your privileges in jeopardy.

ATTENDANCE: Students and parents must place the highest priority on attendance and timeliness to class by allowing only exceptional circumstances to interfere with daily attendance to school.

REMINDER: Board of Education policy states that credit for any class may be withheld if a student is absent more than 18 days from a full-year course or more than 9 days from a semester course. Please visit the district website, click on "Policies," and read Policy 5200. Each year a number of students complete a course with a passing grade, but are denied credit because of excessive absences and/or tardies from that particular class.

Student attendance is taken each and every period and sent electronically to the attendance office. From the office, student attendance will be tracked on a daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly basis and is available to view on Parent Access.

Daily attendance to school and to all classes is considered indispensable to academic success and represents each student's most basic responsibility as a member of the Pascack Hills High School community. The number of days that a student is absent and tardy becomes a part of the permanent record that is seen by prospective colleges and employers. Students are not to be tardy to any class.

ABSENCE/TARDY/EARLY EXCUSE PROCEDURES: We request that parents/guardians call the Attendance Office (201-358-7020 x 22000) before 8:30 AM each day a student is absent from school. All absences must be verified with one of the following:

  • Parent Note
  • Parent Email
  • Parent Voicemail
  • Parent Fax

For students who need to leave school early, a parent note must be submitted by 8:00 AM to the Attendance Office with the reason for the excuse, parent name and telephone number where they may be reached during the day to confirm the note. Students are released only to their parent or the person identified on the emergency contact form. A parent or the emergency contact must pick up students who are ill — students may not drive home ill.

2.       The student handbook is now on the school website. Please be sure to read the entire document to familiarize yourself with the full set of school rules and regulations. Go to hills.pascack.org, at the top of the page choose "PH Life," and then click on "Student Handbook" in the drop-down menu. 

 

3.      COMMUNICATION: Our district website can be found at www.pascack.org. A wealth of information is placed on this site by teachers, counselors, and administrators. On a regular basis, details regarding school activities, major events, and items of special information are placed on the Pascack Hills opening page, accessed after you have reached the above district home page. Be sure to check the teachers' individual sites for important information relating to class work, assignments, research sites, and much, much more.

All of the pertinent Board of Education policies and regulations are listed on the site. As we move into the year, many communications, forms, and informational pieces will be placed on the district website.

4.       STUDENT DROP-OFF PROCEDURE: We need the cooperation of everyone in maintaining the front driveway as a safe pick-up and drop-off point for our students. Students are to be picked up and dropped off from the curb lane of traffic only. Drivers are to pull all the way up to the far end of the building before dropping students off. This will eliminate cars backing up onto Grand Avenue. IF YOU LET YOUR CHILD OFF IN THE OUTER LANE AND ALLOW HIM OR HER TO CROSS THE CURB LANE OF TRAFFIC, YOU ARE PUTTING YOUR CHILD AND OTHERS IN JEOPARDY.

5.     TECHNOLOGY: Freshman and new students will not have access to district technology or a laptop until the student and parent/guardian has completed all required paperwork.

6.        LAPTOP USE: Students are expected to bring their laptops to each class every day. They also must use the case provided at all times. Disciplinary action will be taken if students walk around the building with their laptop out of the case. Much of the damage to student laptops has been due to student carelessness and failure to take reasonable precautions.

7.        NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY: Students must have fulfilled a minimum of 30 hours of volunteer service in order to be considered for membership in the Pascack Hills chapter of the National Honor Society. The school student activities which meet this requirement are Interact, Teens Against Cancer, and Project Paterson. Certainly, many religious and community programs also offer service opportunities. Please read the designated pages in the Student Handbook for more complete information regarding the National Honor Society.

REMINDERS

CELL PHONE USE: Cell phones should not be visible in instructional areas.

DISCIPLINARY CODE: It is each student's and parent's responsibility to become familiar with the Code and our expectations. Please access the school website for the entire school handbook and read the designated pages in the handbook for the complete Disciplinary Code.

GYM LOCKERS: Students are responsible for purchasing and using daily a combination lock to secure their valuables in the locker rooms during physical education classes. There are not enough lockers to assign one to every student. Students are strongly advised not to bring valuables to school. Any items of value are to be secured with the combination lock.

DRESS: Because Pascack Hills High School is a place for serious study and work, our expectation is that all students will dress appropriately at all times. Students have the responsibility to see that their dress and grooming do not disrupt the educational process. The administration has the responsibility to enforce these expectations whenever student dress and grooming may not reflect respect for the individual or for others. Please see page 20 in the handbook for further information.

Particularly in the warmer months, revealing clothing can become an issue. Students are to dress modestly at all times. Parents will be contacted to bring a change of clothing to school, should the administration decide that a student's dress is inappropriate.


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