Are You Aware of Norcross High School's Attendance Protocol?

If your child is absent from or tardy to school, he/she will need a detailed excused note.

Notes excusing an absence must come to the Attendance Office using the form provided below. Filling out and turning in the Norcross HS Student Absence Form will help ensure that the student's absence is properly coded in our records.

Norcross HS Student Absence Form

A hand-written note will only be accepted if contains the following information:
● The name of the student with ID number
● The reason for the absence
● The date(s) of the absence
● A parent contact phone number
● A parent signature

Please note: No child can be checked out after 1:30 p.m. 

Check - In Procedure
Students arriving to school following the 7:20 a.m. tardy bell will report to the Front Lobby / Attendance Office (Commons). Check-ins will be regarded as tardies. Parents are not required to check their child in.

To be considered for an excused check-in, the student must bring a note signed by parent/guardian stating the date, reason for the lateness, and a phone number for follow-up. To be excused for a doctor or court appointment, the student most provide medical or court documentation of the appointment when he/she returns to school. Students arriving late to school without proper documentation will be considered unexcused.

Parent notes will be accepted for five (5) check-ins or tardies per term. After five check-ins or tardies, formal medical documentation will be required for the purpose of validating a serious or extended illness.

Please note, failure to check in with the Front Lobby / Attendance Office may cause the student to be considered as AWOL from class.

Please note: Administrator’s monitor student check ins and check outs. Students who have excessive check ins and / or check outs may be given restrictions or use some other alternative. A student who checks in / out of school five or more times in a semester may have his / her parking privileges revoked at any time or not be given permits to make-up work.

Students who need to leave campus during the day must check out through the Front Lobby. Students who do not follow this procedure will be considered AWOL and may receive appropriate consequences. Contact with a parent or guardian is required before a student is released from school. This includes all students including those 18 years old or older. Parents are not required to come inside for student if verification has been made.

Procedure for Checking Out:
1. Students may bring a note to the Attendance Office (Commons) between 6:55 a.m. – 7:15 a.m.
2. Parents may email a note to NHSAttendance@gwinnett.k12.ga.us. Please email by 7:20 a.m. for same day check out in order to allow time to verify the check out.
3. The note should include the following:

• Date
• Student’s first and last name
• Student number
• Check out time
• Reason for the check out
• If the student will be picked up or drive
• Parent signature and phone number(s) for verification

No student will be released until contact with parent is made. Please allow your child at least 10 minutes to leave class and report to the Front Lobby when checking out.

Student will meet their parent at the Front Lobby entrance of the school unless other arrangements have been made or the student is allowed to drive.

Students are not allowed to check-out after 1:30 p.m. or during final exams.

Students checking out for a doctor, dental or court appointment will be considered unexcused until the Attendance Office has been provided with medical or court documentation of the appointment.

Emergency/Illnesses:
For an emergency/illness and other check outs In the case of an emergency, please call the Attendance Office at 770-447-2630 for check out.
Students who need to check out for an illness or injury must be processed through the clinic and should follow the process below.

• The student should obtain a pass from his/her teacher to go to the clinic to call a parent, guardian or emergency contact person listed on the clinic card.
• The parent/guardian will be contacted for permission to check out. Only those listed on the clinic card will be allowed to check out students.
• Student will bring a permission slip from clinic to the Front Lobby for an excused check out due to illness.
• Students must officially check out through the Front Lobby.

Please note: Administrator’s monitor student check ins and check outs. Students who have excessive check ins and / or check outs may be given restrictions or use some other alternative. A student who checks in / out of school five or more times in a semester may have his / her parking privileges revoked at any time or not be given permits to make-up work.

Students arriving to class after the tardy bell rings are considered tardy and must report to the tardy station to receive a pass to enter class.

Consequences for excessive tardies will include detention, in school suspension, and out of school suspension.

It's important that you check your student's attendance every day.

The Parent Portal gives parents to need-to-know information about their student's education, including their attendance and grades. You can create an account by following the instructions below. If you are in need of assistance, please contact Elizabeth Magana at 770.326.8026.

If you do not have a Parent Portal account, you have two options to open an account. 

1. Go to the link (Parent Portal Form) and print out the Parent Portal Form in your preferred language.

2. Complete the form, take a clear photo of it and  take a photo of your ID. We will use this to verify you are the parent of the student. 

3. Email both of these images to the Parent Outreach Liaison- elizabeth.magana@gcpk12.org

4. Come to the school and fill out the form. You will need your ID so we can verify you are the parent of the student.
 
Click here to get the Parent Portal Form and Frequently Asked Questions

- What happens after you return the Parent Portal Form?
You will get an email from the county with a link. Click the link
Enter your LAST NAME and USER ID
LAST NAME: This must be the last name we have on file for you
USER ID: This will be your email address on file. 
Create your password.
Login to the Parent Portal using your new password and user ID. 

- What if I already have a Parent Portal account but forgot my password? 
On the log-in page, click on the link labeled "Forgot your password?" Another page will display. Enter your email address. Your account information will be emailed to you. If you are unable to reset your password after completing these steps, contact our school. 

We want to partner with you when it comes to your student's attendance. Our school district has adopted a new form of school-to-home communication called ParentSquare. NHS will utilize this new platform to communicate with you and we encourage you to use it to communicate with us if you have concerns or questions about your student's attendance, grades or behavior.

Activating your ParentSquare Account

ParentSquare Resources for Parents

Please also feel free to email us at NHS.Attendance@gcpsk12.org with any attendance related questions or concerns.

Make school attendance a priority
• Talk about the importance of showing up to school every day.
• Help your teen maintain daily routines, such as finishing homework and getting a good night’s sleep.
• Try not to schedule dental and non-Covid-19 related medical appointments during the school day.
• Keep your student healthy.
• If your teens must stay home because they are sick or in quarantine, make sure they have access to teachers' eCLASS pages to find missing work and materials.

Help your teen stay engaged
• Find out if your children feel engaged by their classes, and feel safe from bullies and other threats.
• Make sure your teens are not missing class because of challenges with behavioral issues or school discipline policies. If any of these are problems, contact the school and work with them to find a solution.
• Monitor you teen’s academic progress and seek help from teachers, counselors or adminstrators when necessary. 
• Stay on top of your child’s social contacts. Peer pressure can lead to skipping school, while students without many friends can feel isolated.
• Encourage your teen to join meaningful after-school activities, including sports and clubs.
• Notice and support your students if they are showing signs of anxiety.

Communicate with the school
• Know the school’s attendance policy
• Check on your teen’s attendance to be sure absences are not adding up.
• Seek help from school staff, other parents or community agencies if you need support.

Adapted from Attendance Works
www.attendanceworks.org