At Hunter College High School, the English and Communication and Theater faculty believe that the disciplines of English language and literature, communication, and drama enable students to develop a lasting appreciation of literature and the verbal arts; to learn to express themselves both verbally and in writing with confidence and conviction; to better understand human nature and thus, their own natures; to examine issues of diversity within a supportive environment-and in so doing, to explore the deepest aspects of what it means to be human.

Hunter College High School English/CT Department Attendance Policy

Please see your English or CT teacher if you have any questions about these rules. Bear in mind that grades at the end of each semester are cumulative (i.e., your grade at the end of the fall semester incorporates your grades from first quarter, and your grade at the end of the spring semester incorporates your grades from third quarter.) For courses that are full-year, you will also receive a final grade that is cumulative for the two semesters.

Latenesses:

* Attendance is taken at the beginning of class. Your teacher will let you know at which point s/he will consider you “late.”
* The first two times you are late to class during a quarter without a valid excuse will be excused; you will not be penalized for these two latenesses. (See The Umbrella for a definition of “excused lateness.”)

* Each subsequent unexcused lateness to class (after your initial two) will result in a ½-point deduction from your overall grade for the quarter. Because your semester grade is cumulative over two quarters, this lateness will also lower your semester grade by a ½ point.

Example: If you are late four times without a valid excuse during the quarter, your first two latenesses will be excused, and a ½ point each will be taken off your final quarter grade for the two subsequent unexcused latenesses, totaling a full point off your grade for the quarter. These two latenesses will also lower your semester grade by a point.

Absences:

* If you have an excused absence (as defined by The Umbrella), you must bring an absence note to school from your parent(s) within a week of your return. Absence notes must be turned in either in Room 240 or Room 242 to be logged on the school’s attendance system. Your teacher will let you know whether or not s/he wishes to see absence notes before they are turned in.

* Each unexcused absence from class will result in one full-point deduction from your overall quarter grade. Since semester grades are cumulative over two quarters, each unexcused absence will also lower your semester grade by a point.

Absence for 25% or more of your scheduled class meetings in a semester will result in failure. The 25% total will include both excused and unexcused absences, but not exempt absences (see The Umbrella for the definitions of these categories.) For the purposes of calculation, The Umbrella states that for classes that meet four times a week, as all English classes and most CT classes do, 18 excused and unexcused absences will count as 25% of a semester.