For Parents
If you have a question about an event, schedule or other school related matter, please contact Lisa Wenzlaff.
PTSA Q&A/Presentations
Click here to see the presentation from 9/10/24.
Absences
Student attendance is required daily. There are no days off. Below are two forms to be used for student absences.
JWMS Student Absence Form Please use this form when notifying the school of an absence due to illness, a medical appointment or for some other reason.
Spanish: Por favor use este formulario cuando notifique a la escuela de una ausencia debido a enfermedad, una cita médica o por algún otro razón.
Excused Absences include:
- work/activity accepted by school authority
- death in immediate family
- certified illness of student
- court summons
- hazardous weather conditions
- observance of religious holiday
- state emergency
- suspension
- unscheduled lack of authorized transportation
- other emergency
Parents are encouraged to contact the school before classes begin at 7:55am on the day their child is going to be absent. On the day of return, the student must present a note to the attendance secretary in the main office with the following information: student name, date of and reason for absence, and a parent’s signature. A doctor’s note is required when a student is absent for a period of three days or longer. An absence note email may be sent to Lisa Wenzlaff . The complete MCPS regulation governing student attendance can be found at /departments/policy/pdf/jeara.pdf.
Late Arrival
Students arriving late must bring a note from a parent and come directly to the main office to sign in with the attendance secretary.
Early Pickup
Students who know in advance that they need to leave school early must first bring a note signed by a parent to the attendance secretary in the main office at the start of the school day. The note should include the student’s name, grade, parent’s home, office, or cell phone number, and the date, time, and reason for early dismissal. Before leaving school, parents must sign students out with the attendance secretary in the main office.
If an emergency arises during the day and you must pick up your child early without having sent a note, you must go to the office and the attendance secretary will request that your child be dismissed from their class. Before leaving school, parents must sign students out with the attendance secretary in the main office.
Parents should make every effort to schedule appointments after school. Please avoid scheduling appointments for your child during the school day, especially when standardized tests, semester or final exams are scheduled.
Making Up Work After an Absence
Generally, students will be allowed one day to make up work for each day of excused absence. It is the student's responsibility to obtain and submit all missed assignments when absent from class.
In addition, students should:
- arrange a make-up schedule with each teacher upon returning to class
- contact a homework buddy about missed assignments
- use MyMCPS Classroom to check assignments
A student who is present when a long-term assignment is given is expected to submit that assignment on the day of return, unless s/he has made other arrangements with the teacher.
When circumstances require that a student is absent due to illness for more than three days, requests for assignments may be made to all of the student's teachers by contacting teachers directly through email or MyMCPS Portal, or by request to the main office. Allow up to 24 hours for collection of assignments. For absences of more than three days that are not related to illness, requests for assignments should be made by contacting all of the student’s teachers directly through email or MyMCPS Portal.
Parent Forms
- Attendance Note
- New Student Information Form (560-24)
- Health Inventory
- Student Service Learning Activity Verification Form (560-51)
- Application for Student Service Learning Special Activity (560-50)
- Extracurricular Activity Fee Remittance Form (280-37)
- Authorization to Admisister Prescribed Medication (525-13)
- Emergency Care for Management of Anaphylaxis Form (525-14)
- More forms
MCPS Information
- MCPS Parent Page
- Grading and Reporting Information
- Emergency Information
- Frequently Called Phone Numbers
MCPS Helpful Links
- Parent website explaining special education services
- Parent Connection Newsletter (Multiple languages)
- Guides for Parents Helping Their Child Excel in School