Attendance Policy

Student Attendance Polocy

Every student is responsible for attending all sessions of each class in which he/she is enrolled. Unexcused absences or tardies can result in loss of credit or failure. Students may make up class work when the absence is excused. Parents should call the attendance office at 301-929-2059 when their child is absent. An attendance note must be completed and signed by the parent/guardian and be submitted to the attendance office within three school days after an absence. Attendance forms are available in the Attendance Office. Any absence, early departure, or late arrival due to a medical or dental appointment will be excused with a medical note.

Required information for all absence/tardy/early dismissal notes:

Date of note
Student name and ID number
Date(s) of absence/tardy/early dismissal
Reason for absence/tardy/early dismissal
Parent/Guardian’s name and Parent/Guardian’s signature
Current work and home telephone numbers (back to top)

Excused Absences:

You may miss school for the following reasons only:

  • Death in your immediate family
  • Illness
  • Court summons
  • Religious holiday
  • State emergency
  • Hazardous weather conditions (that is, weather conditions that would endanger you on your way to or from school; the superintendent decides whether the weather is hazardous)
  • Lack of authorized transportation (for example, if your bus does not show up)
  • Permission from your principal

If you miss school for one of these reasons, you must bring a note from your parent or guardian within three school days after your return to school. For example, if you miss school Wednesday and Thursday and then return Friday, you must hand in a note explaining your absence by the following Tuesday. Otherwise, the absence will be considered unexcused.
The principal also may allow you to miss school for work or another activity if your parent has asked permission five school days in advance. The principal usually will excuse you if you miss school to do one of the following:

  • Visit a college campus
  • Participate in a college orientation program Interview for a job
  • Work as part of an approved cooperative education program
  • Participate in short-term, full-time work
  • Participate in a school-sponsored activity
  • Family vacations usually are not excused. If unusual circumstances arise, however, the principal may excuse the absence. (back to top)

Early Dismissal Procedures:

Students requesting early dismissal must present a note to the attendance office before 7:25 a.m. No student will be excused without a written note from a parent/guardian with the departure time, reason for departure, and a daytime phone number. Telephone calls requesting early dismissal will not be honored. Students must sign out at the attendance office when they leave and sign in when they return. Students who fail to sign out will have the classes missed counted as unexcused. In case of an emergency, a student should contact an administrator before leaving school. (back to top)

Dismissal from Health Room Procedures:

Students dismissed from school by the Health Room technician or nurse must sign out in the Attendance Office. Upon departing, student must present the Health Room dismissal slip to the Attendance Office. In return, the Attendance Office will make note in the attendance program. Students who feel ill during the day must report to the Health Room in order to be excused for early departure.(back to top)

Late Arrival Procedures:

If you arrive:

after 7:25 a.m. with an excused note, go to the attendance office where you will be issued an excused late pass.

before 7:45 a.m. and do not have an excused note, go straight to class, where your teacher will mark you unexcused tardy.

after 7:45 a.m., you MUST sign in immediately upon entering the building and obtain a pass from the attendance office.

You will be considered unexcused unless you have an excused note signed by a parent/guardian. This note MUST include a telephone number where a parent/guardian can be reached. If a student is unable to obtain a note, he/she may bring a valid note the next day.

  • For late arrivals due to illness, a student must bring a note with date, daytime phone number, and reason, signed by a parent/guardian. All notes must be verified before they will be considered excused.
  • Excessive late arrivals (tardies) may require a doctor’s note and/or a parent conference.
  • Failure to sign in could result in detention.
  • Three unexcused late arrivals (tardies) will equal one unexcused absence, which may lead to a loss of credit in that course. (back to top)

Work Missed During an Absence:

Upon returning from an absence, students have three days to make-up work missed during the period of absence. Teachers are obligated to assist students in making up work when the absence is excused; however, they are not obligated to accept missed work when the absence is unexcused, give you a retest, or give you an extension on work that was due. It is the students’ responsibility to find out what work they missed and to arrange for completion within the three-day time period following their return to school. If a student is absent (excused) for three or more days, the counseling office should be contacted at 301-929-2060 for make-up assignments. Please allow 24 hours to collect assignments.(back to top)

Unexcused Absences:

An absence for any reason other than those cited as lawful are presumed as unlawful and may constitute truancy. Missing the bus, experiencing car trouble, or oversleeping is not considered an excused absence or excused late arrival (tardy). If you are late to class three times without valid excuses, that counts as one unexcused absence in the class. If you miss a day of school and are not excused, you will have an unexcused absence in each class you miss.

* REQUESTS FOR FAMILY TRAVEL ARE NOT EXCUSED ABSENCES. IN CASES OF VERY UNUSUAL FAMILY CIRCUMSTANCES, A PARENT/GUARDIAN MUST CONTACT THE PRINCIPAL AT LEAST 5 DAYS PRIOR TO THE ABSENCE.

Block Schedule - 90 minute classes (Periods 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7)

  • After one unexcused absence or three unexcused tardies, the teacher warns you, calls your parent/guardian, and the principal sends a warning letter to your parent/guardian at the home address requesting a parent conference.
  • After two unexcused absences (or a combination of absences and tardies), the teacher warns you again, indicating that one more unexcused absence will result in loss of credit for the class. When feasible, the school contacts your home again.
  • After three unexcused absences (or a combination of absences and tardies), the school informs you and your parents that you will lose credit for the semester. You will receive an LC (Loss of Credit) and will get no credit for the semester.
  • Mondays (and other all-period days) are treated as a block day.

Block Schedule - 50 minute class (Period 1)

  • After one unexcused absence or three unexcused tardies, the teacher warns you.
  • After two unexcused absences (or a combination of absences and tardies), the teacher warns you again
  • After three unexcused absence (or a combination of absences and tardies), calls your parent/guardian, the principal sends a warning letter to your parent/guardian at the home address requesting a parent conference..
  • After four unexcused absence (or a combination of absences and tardies), the teacher warns you again, indicating that one more unexcused absence will result in loss of credit for the class. When feasible, the school contacts your home again.
  • After five unexcused absences (or a combination of absences and tardies), the school informs you and your parents that you will lose credit for the semester. You will receive an LC (Loss of Credit) and will get no credit for the semester.

Three unexcused instances of tardiness equal one unexcused absence.

The principal may not allow you to participate in extracurricular activities on a day that you have an unexcused absence.

The above actions are minimums. Individual schools may have additional rules about unexcused absences.

Anyone involved may ask for a conference to talk about particular absences or loss of credit. The conference will include you, your parents, and appropriate school staff. It will focus on why you have unexcused absences. (back to top)

Loss of Credit:

MCPS Loss of Credit (LC) policy states that students who acquire five (or its weighted equivalent) or more unexcused absences in a semester course will not receive credit for that class despite the grade earned for the entire semester. They will earn an “E2”. For the marking period in which you lose credit, a failing grade will be used in calculating your marking period average. The failing grade will be counted in your grade point average. Unexcused absences and/or tardies result in a "0" grade for class work missed. Students who lose credit are still required to attend class and are encouraged to by submit the Loss of Credit Appeal form to the teacher. Your counselor can help you do this. (back to top)

Appeal Process:

Students may appeal their loss of credit by submitting a Loss of Credit Appeal. You must fully explain the reason(s) you have lost credit and why you believe your credit should be restored. The teacher will review your reasons, identify what you need to do for credit restoration, and make a recommendation to the Assistant Principal. Often, conditions are set and a decision is deferred until the end of the semester. If the conditions are met, credit will be restored at the end of the semester. If you still are denied credit, you then may petition the principal directly. Give him/her your reasons in writing and he/she will respond within 10 days.

If your credit is not restored, there are two questions to be answered. First, do you need credit in the class to graduate? If you do, you may be able to repeat the class the following semester or the following year or at night school, Saturday school, or summer school. Second, what will you do for the rest of the year during the class in which you lost credit? That is, if you lose credit in your fourth period class, what will you do during fourth period for the rest of the year? The options are as follows:

  • Continue attending the class on an audit basis. If you audit a class, you are required to attend and participate in class activities.
  • Drop the class and take a study skills class or other noncredit class in its place with parent permission.
  • Drop the class and reschedule your classes with parent permission.

Scheduling another class will depend upon availability. Regardless of whether you audit the class or drop it, you will still receive an LC and a failing grade on your report card for the semester.(back to top)


Participation in Extracurricular Activities

Any student wishing to participate in an athletic or non-athletic extracurricular activity (e.g. sports, SGA, talent show, drama production, etc.) must be in school for the entire day and attend their classes unless:
  • They have received prior approval at least one day before from an administrator. Students should bring their note signed by the administrator to the Attendance Office at least the day before and inform the attendance secretary of the extracurricular activity involved. OR
  • The student has brought a note to the administrator that morning and/or the parent has called the school before 7:25 am in the case of an emergency. The administrator will then make a decision based on the facts of the case. OR
  • The administrator has decided that an extraordinary circumstance exists and has granted an exemption.

Any student who misses classes due to truancy or class cutting will miss the activity (practice/contest, meeting, game, rehearsal, etc.) for that day or the first day it is “discovered.” Additional disciplinary action may be imposed by the moderator, coach or administrator.(back to top)

 

 

Updated March 3, 2008 | Maintained by Webmaster