Attendance Policy and Regulations

Attendance Office: 703- 441-4301

ABSENCES:

• Parents/guardians will sign and submit an excuse note to the Attendance Office within 2 days of the absence.
• This note must contain; student’s full name, date of absence, reason for absence; parents/guardians signature.
• Notes not received within 2 days of the absence will result in an unexcused absence.

TARDIES:

• Students must report to the Attendance Office upon late arrival to school.
• Students must present a tardy note.
• The note must contain: student’s full name; date of tardy; reason for tardy parents/guardians signature.
• Any student reporting tardy to school without a signed note or phone call from the parent/guardian will receive an unexcused tardy.

EARLY DISMISSALS:

• The student must present a note requesting early dismissal to the Attendance Office before 7:30 a.m. The request must include the student’s full name, date, reason for the dismissal, time of dismissal, state whether the student will be picked up or drive; parent/guardian signature with telephone number for verification.
• An early dismissal will be issued only after verbal verification, by parent or the person designated as the emergency contact, has been received. When picking your student up early from school, please present a photo ID to the Attendance Office and sign them out in the log book.
• For safety reasons, students are not permitted to wait outside the school building for a ride or to be released from class until a parent has arrived for them. Students with their own transportation should leave the school grounds within five minutes of their dismissal time.
• A student who leaves school without checking out through the Attendance Office will receive an unexcused absence for each class missed and will be subject to disciplinary action.
• No early dismissals will be processed, nor passes delivered, while Exams or SOLs are being given.

PREARRANGED ABSENCES:

All absences for family trips must be prearranged through the student’s administrator at least 5 days in advance of trip. Such factors as the impact of the absence on the student’s academic progress and the educational value of the trip will be considered in determining whether a prearranged absence will be approved or disapproved.

ABSENCES, TARDIES, AND EARLY DISMISSALS WILL ONLY BE EXCUSED FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS:

• Illness of the student; medical or dental exams (every effort should be made to schedule these appointments after school hours); court; observation of a religious holiday; death in the family; college visits, approved prearranged absences; unsafe weather conditions; assistance with sick or injured family member.

CORRECTIONS TO ATTENDANCE:

• It is the student’s responsibility to contact the teacher who entered the attendance in question during the next class period with that teacher.
• The Attendance Office will only accept attendance corrections from the teacher of the period in question.
• The Attendance Office may be reached by calling 703- 441-4301.

Attendance Policy
 Students who miss ten or more class periods in any one class for the year, excused or unexcused, and who have completed little or no make-up work, may fail that class for the year. Exception: certification by a physician.

Parent Responsibility:
A. The parent/guardian must call or send a note within two (2) days regarding a student’s absence to the Attendance Office.

B. The parent/guardian will communicate with the school regarding any matter which keeps his/her child from attending school.

Notification When Student Fails to Report to School:
A. Whenever a student fails to report to school on a regularly scheduled school day and no indication has been received by school personnel that the student’s parent is aware of and supports the absence, school personnel or volunteers organized by the school administration for this purpose shall make a reasonable effort to notify the parent by telephone in order to receive an explanation for the student’s absence.

B. Whenever a student fails to report to school for a total of five scheduled school days for a school year and no indication has been received by school personnel that the student’s parent is aware of and supports the student’s absence, and a reasonable effort to notify the parent has failed, the school principal or his/her designee shall make a reasonable effort to ensure that direct contact by the attendance officer or other school personnel is made with the parent either in person or by telephone to obtain an explanation for the student’s absence and to explain to the parent the consequences of continued nonattendance. The attendance officer or other school personnel, the student, and the student’s parent shall jointly develop a plan to resolve the student’s nonattendance. The plan shall include documentation of the reason for the student’s nonattendance.

C. If the student is absent an additional day after direct contact with the student’s parent, and no indication has been received by school personnel that the student’s parent is aware of and supports the student’s absence, the school principal or his/her designee shall schedule a conference within ten school days with the student, the student’s parent, school personnel, and community resources as needed to resolve issues related to the student’s nonattendance. The conference is to be held no later than fifteen days after the sixth absence.

D. Upon the next absence by the student without indication to school personnel that the student’s parent is aware of and supports the student’s absence, the school principal or his/her designee shall notify the attendance officer who shall enforce the provisions of this article by either or both of the following:

(1) filing a complaint with the juvenile and domestic relations court alleging the
student is a child in need of supervision as defined in #16.1-228 or
(2) instituting proceedings against the parent pursuant to #18.2-371 or #22.1-262