Attendance Policy and Procedures

 

Attendance Secretary: Ms. Maria Fernanda Sanchez Meza

240-740-6351 I  mariafernanda_sanchezmeza@mcpsmd.org

 

Reporting a Student Absence

Regular attendance is important for student success. Some absences are unavoidable, including student illness, medical appointments, the death of an immediate family member, and certain emergencies. Travel-related absences and vacations are considered unexcused.

The best way to report your student's absence is to complete the online Attendance Notification Form. If you cannot complete the form, you may email mariafernanda_sanchezmeza@mcpsmd.org. You may also call the main office at (240) 740-6351 by 9:00 a.m. to report that your student will be absent that day.

Parents/guardians may also report an absence through ParentVUE. ParentVUE allows families to report an absence, select the reason, and upload supporting documentation in one place. Please refer to the available ParentVUE technology tutorial for instructions. Watch this quick tech short to learn how.

Please note that reporting an absence by phone does not replace the requirement to submit a signed absence note. Families may still receive an automated evening reminder.

Written Absence Notes

Signed absence notes must be submitted to the main office within three (3) days of the absence. Please include:

  • Student's legal first and last name
  • Student ID number and grade
  • Date(s) of the absence or tardiness
  • Reason for the absence or tardiness
  • Parent/guardian signature
  • Daytime phone number

Parent/guardian notes and attendance emails may take a couple of days to be entered into the system. Thank you for your patience.

Excused Absences

The following are listed as excused absences in the school's current procedures:

  • Student illness and well-being concerns
  • Medical appointments
  • Death in the immediate family (parents, siblings, and grandparents)
  • Court citation (a copy of the citation is required)
  • Hazardous weather conditions that would endanger the student's health or safety while traveling to or from school
  • Observance of religious holidays
  • State of Emergency
  • Suspensions
  • Lack of authorized transportation (for example, the school bus does not arrive)

Unexcused Absences

The following are listed as unexcused absences in the school's current procedures:

  • Caring for younger siblings or relatives
  • Vacationing or trips out of town
  • Traffic or a broken-down car
  • Family emergency, unless excused by an administrator
  • Oversleeping
  • Power outage or alarm failure

Students may make up missed work for excused absences. Work missed during unexcused absences may not be accepted.

Extended Leave and Travel

Family travel is not considered an approved absence under the school's current procedures. Travel for five (5) or more days during the school year is unexcused, regardless of the reason, and schoolwork is not provided. All travel requests must be submitted in writing to Mrs. Overton at least two weeks in advance.

Tardy Policy and Late Arrivals

All students are expected to arrive to class on time. Students are considered tardy if they are not in their assigned first-period classroom when the bell rings at 8:15 a.m. Students arriving late for an excused reason must be signed in by a parent/guardian and provide a written excuse.

Students arriving after 8:15 a.m. without an excuse must sign in at the main office before going to class. Students may be excused from a tardy when they enter class with an appropriate pass. Students arriving more than 20 minutes late to class will be marked absent for that period; students arriving less than 20 minutes late will be marked tardy. Three (3) unexcused tardies in a class equal one unexcused absence for that period.

Early Dismissal Procedures

Please send a note signed by a parent/guardian with your child on the day of the early dismissal. Your child should drop the note off in the main office before school and will be given a pass to leave class at the appropriate time.

Students may only be released to individuals authorized in MCPS records or with written parent/guardian permission. The person picking up the student must present a valid photo ID and sign the dismissal log.

Please note: If you arrive after 2:40 p.m. to pick up your child and no note was received, the school may be unable to retrieve your child from class because security assistants are performing dismissal duties.

Automated Attendance Calls

Students marked absent from one or more periods during the day will receive a phone call from the automated notification system that same day. If you called the main office to report your student's absence for the day, you may still receive an evening call from Connect-Ed.

If your student was marked absent for part or all of the day and you have questions, please check ParentVUE to see which teacher marked the student absent and email that teacher for more information.