FAQs
In This Section
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
- Arrival & Dismissal Procedures
- Attendance Policy
- Attendance Procedures
- Security Measures
- Inclement Weather Procedures
- Reporting a Concern
- What Is StudentSquare?
- How Do I Get Working Papers?
- Other Contacts
Arrival & Dismissal Procedures
Attendance Policy
To report your child absent, call 203-838-4481.
New Procedure in 2024-25
This year, NPS seeks a school, family and scholars’ partnership to ensure students attend school daily and arrive on time.
Tardy Information
- A student will be marked tardy if they arrive after the late bell and tardies will be either excused or unexcused.
- If a student arrives to class late 30 minutes or more, they will be marked with an unexcused tardy (T30)
- Three unexcused tardies (T30) will count as one unexcused absence from class.
Procedure Regarding Incompletes for Attendance (IA)
Students who have absences (unexcused or excused) totaling 18 in a full-year course and 9 in a semester course may receive an Incomplete for Attendance (IA), rather than the passing course grade, as the final grade.
- Families will be notified in writing if students are at risk of receiving an Incomplete for Attendance (IA) because they are currently missing 10% or more of a course.
- Students will have 30 calendar days from the date on the notification to provide additional information regarding absences. After 30 calendar days, additional information will not be considered.
- Students with an Incomplete for Attendance (IA), in one or more classes, may resolve it by completing additional steps outlined in a contract between the school, the student and family.
- If the Incomplete for Attendance (IA) is not resolved by the deadline, a grade of 50 will be entered in its place.
If you need support with school attendance, please contact the school for assistance.
Norwalk BOE Policy 5113
Attendance in school and in classes is required for academic success. Parent/guardian cooperation is essential in seeing that students are in attendance and adhering to the procedures and regulations established by the administration. The administration will publish reasonable rules and regulations regarding authorized, excused, and unexcused absences.
Below are some guidelines that we use for absences:
- sickness death in the family
- religious observance/instruction
- family emergency of short duration
- medical/dental appointment
(We strongly urge that appointments be made outside the school day.)
Unexcused absences (any absence without a phone call or note from parent/guardian)
- missing the school bus
- car trouble or other problems getting to school regarding transportation
- staying home to baby-sit
- oversleeping
- inclement weather family vacations
In keeping with the philosophy that students need to maintain regular attendance at school, we strongly discourage families from scheduling any trips other than during the normal school vacations. If unusual circumstances arise, contact the guidance counselor.
Attendance Procedures
To report your child absent, call 203-838-4481.
All attendance information including class and full-day absences is available on the PowerSchool Parent Portal.
Absences
In the event that your child is absent, please email the house secretary with your child’s name, the date(s) of absence and a reason for the absence(s). Power School will be updated accordingly.
Request Missed Work
If your child will be absent for more than five consecutive days, you may direct requests for homework assignments to house secretaries via email. Requests should be made as early as possible, as they will likely take a few days to process before assignments can be picked up. If your child will be absent for less than five consecutive days, you may contact teachers directly via email to request the missed work.
Late Arrivals
In the event that your child will arrive late to school, please email the house secretary with your child’s name, date/ time of arrival to school and a reason for the tardiness. Power School will be updated accordingly.
Early Dismissals
In the event that your child will need to leave school early, please email the house secretary first thing in the morning with your child’s name, time of dismissal from school and a reason for the dismissal. The house secretary will provide your child with an early dismissal pass, which should be provided to the respective teacher at the time that your child needs to leave school.
In the event that passes are not being utilized, the secretary will contact the teacher of the respective class, where your child is attending, to request that he/she leave for the early dismissal and will then place a follow-up call to security/main-office to advise that parent/guardian permission has been granted for an early dismissal. Power School will be updated accordingly.
Class Attendance
Respective teachers should be contacted regarding questions about specific class period attendance.
Security Measures
The safety and security of our building is paramount to ensuring we create and maintain a positive learning environment. Your cooperation and support are essential to our efforts in safeguarding our school community. Below are key security measures we have implemented:
Campus Access
-
Single Point of Entry: Once the school day begins, all exterior doors will be locked. Everyone must enter through the main doors after 7:30 am. Prior to the 7:30 am bell, only students can access the building through the 1st floor E House doors.
-
Visitor Protocol: All visitors must check in at the security desk and obtain a visitor badge before entering any part of the school. All visitors must bring a valid ID for verification.
-
Building Security: All exterior doors will remain locked during school hours. Only authorized personnel with key fobs have access to these doors, and no one will be allowed to enter without proper authorization. As such, students must not open exterior doors for anyone at any time. Doing so may result in a disciplinary consequence.
Emergency Preparedness
-
Drills: All of our safety procedures follow the Standard Response Protocol (SRP) created by the I Love U Guys Foundation. We will conduct regular drills for various emergencies, including lockdown and evacuation procedures. These drills are crucial for preparing students and staff to respond effectively in real situations.
-
Emergency Contacts: Please ensure that your emergency contact information is up to date with the school office. This information is vital for effective communication in case of an emergency.
Surveillance and Security Personnel
-
Monitoring: Surveillance cameras are installed in key areas around the campus to monitor activities and enhance safety.
-
Security Staff: Our security team will be present on campus during school hours to oversee safety measures and address any concerns.
-
SRO: A Norwalk Police School Resource Officer is assigned to our building and is available inside of the building throughout the school day. A patrol officer is also onsite and available outside of the building.
Safety
-
School Safety Committee: Our school safety committee meets on a monthly basis to review and revise our school safety procedures.
-
Reporting Concerns: Encourage your child to report any suspicious activity or safety concerns to a staff member immediately. Anyone can also make an anonymous report using this site: https://www.anonymousalerts.com/norwalkps/
-
Staff Training: All staff members participate in mandatory safety drills to stay updated on the best practices for ensuring safety.
-
Facility Checks: We conduct regular inspections of the school facilities to address any potential safety hazards promptly.
-
Personal Awareness: We encourage you to discuss safety with your child and emphasize the importance of being aware of their surroundings and following school policies.
-
Information Updates: We will keep you informed about any changes or updates to our security measures through regular communication channels.
We appreciate your support and partnership in keeping our school a safe place for all students. If you have any questions or need additional information, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Job Fernandez, Asst. Principal
Inclement Weather Procedures
Inclement Weather Protocols
- DELAY: All delays are two hours in duration. Morning care will operate on a delayed schedule.
- CLOSURE: All schools are closed for the day. All after-school activities and programs are canceled.
- EARLY DISMISSAL: Schools open on time, but will end earlier than the regular school day, generally 2 hours before normal dismissal times. All after-school programs are canceled including after-school care. Early dismissals will be called by 10 a.m.
- AFTER-SCHOOL CANCELLATION: School opens and ends at the regular time but all after-school programs are canceled.
- DELAY: Program will have a delayed start of 2 hours.
- EARLY DISMISSAL: After school programs are canceled. CASPER at Carver Center will still pick up students and dismissal will be from Carver Center.
Where to Find Inclement Weather Announcements
To ensure the information you receive is accurate, we encourage all families to rely on official NPS sources. School delays, closures, early dismissals and after-school cancellations are communicated in the following places:
- Norwalk Public Schools website: www.norwalkps.org
- ParentSquare message -- text, email and phone call
- NPS Social Media:
- NPS Facebook
- NPS Twitter (twitter.com/norwalkps)
- NPS Info Line recording: (203) 854-4123
- Local TV, radio and online media outlets, including:
TheHour.com | News 12 | WTNH Channel 8 |
WICC 600 AM |
WFAS 1230 AM/103.9 FM |
WDAQ 98.3 FM |
WSTC 1400 AM | CTWeather.com | WSHU 1260 AM/91.1 FM |
On days when weather may impact the school day, we ask that parents and guardians check these sources frequently for information. Parents and guardians should always make sure their child’s school has up-to-date contact information on file.
Although rare, changing conditions may require that a delay is changed to a cancellation, or that an early dismissal is called after the school day begins. We will make every effort to avoid changes, but there are times when it cannot be avoided.
Reporting a Concern
What to Do When You Have a Concern
Ladder of Referral
If a parent/guardian has a question or concern regarding their child's progress or well being within the school program, we urge you to follow the steps outlined below. Parent concerns about a student related to teaching staff should be referred first to the teacher. If your concern is not addressed to your satisfaction, then please follow the procedure outlined below:
Teacher
As soon as you have a concern, send a note, call, or email the teacher during school hours. Leave your name, phone number and time you can be reached. Please also follow this procedure for concerns about special programs and/or services. Teachers wish to hear more, not less, from parents. The majority of misunderstandings can be resolved with the teacher.
School Counselor
The School Counselor should be contacted before contacting the Principal.
Assistant Principal or Dean of Students
If the issue has not been resolved to your satisfaction, send a note, call, or email the Assistant Principal.
Principal
If the issue has still not been resolved to your satisfaction, send a note, call, or email the Principal.
Central Office
If necessary, the principal will direct you to staff at Norwalk Public School’s Central Office.
Superintendent and Board of Education
After appropriate discussion with Central Office personnel, decisions may be appealed first to the Superintendent and ultimately to the Board of Education. Any appeal to the Board should be in writing and signed.
If you have questions or concerns about a teacher, please begin by contacting the teacher first. If your concern is not addressed to your satisfaction, then please follow the procedure outlined below:
- Contact the Teacher
- Then contact the School Counselor, Dean, or Social Worker
- Then contact the Assistant Principal
- Then the Principal
- Then the Assistant Superintendent
- Then the Superintendent
- And last, the Board of Education
The Ladder of Referral is part of the NPS Behavior Interventions and Expectations Guide.
What Is StudentSquare?
StudentSquare is an easy to use and secure communication tool for students and staff.
What you can do with StudentSquare:
- Receive messages from school by email, text or mobile app.
- Send messages to your teachers and staff at school.
- Stay in the loop regarding late start days, extracurricular activities, and class projects.
- Subscribe to calendars, RSVP to events, complete forms, use sign-up sheets and participate in groups.
How Do I Get Working Papers?
If you are interested in Student Working Papers, you may go to your high school and see
- The main office at NHS
What you need to bring:
- The Promise of Employment letter from your employer
- A form of identification: Certificate of Birth, Passport, or school ID
Note: The Superintendent’s Office does not issue working papers directly.
Other Contacts
Reasons to contact other NHS staff members:
- Attendance
- House Office Secretaries
- Jarelys DeJesus, dejesusj@norwalkps.org
- Ursula Fusco, fuscou@norwalkps.org
- House Office Secretaries
- Bus Passes
- Go to the NHS Main Office
- Student Password Resets (NPS Computer, ClassLink, PowerSchool, Google)
- Ask your Teacher
- Go to the NHS Library
- Parent PowerSchool Portal Access
- Access letter can be obtained from school counselor or house secretary
- Parent PowerSchool Portal Password Resets
- School DAY PSAT / SAT Questions
- Kyle Heaslip (heaslipk@norwalkps.org)
- Obligations
- House Office Secretaries
- Class Dues
- Class Advisors
- Peer Tutoring
- National Honor Society (todeschinim@norwalkps.org)
- Clubs
- Lawrence Anastasia (anastasial@norwalkps.org)
- Yearbook
- Trevor Kline (klinet@norwalkps.org)
- Requesting Student Records
- House Secretary and/or Lynne Moore (moorel@norwalkps.org)
- School ID
- Go to the NHS Library
- Student Withdrawing or Transferring to a Different School
- House Office Secretary
- Changing Home Address or Contact Information
- House Office Secretary
- Registrar
- Dan Sullivan (sullivand@norwalkps.org)
- Student Parking
- Dan Sullivan (sullivand@norwalkps.org) or John Migliaro
Norwalk High School
23 Calvin Murphy Dr. Norwalk, CT 06851
Dr. Lynne Moore | Principal | Phone: 203-838-4481