Attendance Reporting

Full-day absence, late arrival, or early checkout

Attendance Reporting

Report attendance using one of the methods below.

When reporting a student's absence, please include the following information:  

  • Identify the student’s complete name and grade level, your name, work and home phone numbers on all notes and phone messages. 
  • If reporting an ill student, include symptoms, especially if they have a fever, nausea, vomiting, sore throat, and/or cough. If your student has a diagnosis from a healthcare provider, please include that information. 

 

FCPS Regulation 2234 states that “regular attendance is necessary for maximum school achievement. In addition, punctuality and dependability in meeting assigned responsibilities are personal behavior habits valued in our society. To help students develop desirable behavior patterns, as well as maximize their classroom learning, Fairfax County Public Schools requires that students be punctual and regular in school class attendance. When attendance problems develop, the school system’s resources are made available to aid in solutions to these problems.” It is the responsibility of a parent or guardian to excuse absences within three days.

Types of Absences

Excused Absences, Check-ins, and Check-outs

  • Acceptable Excuses - Illness, Doctor/Dentist Appointment, Religious Holiday, Death in the Family
  • Excusing Check-ins - Written notes are required at the time of check-in. If not, students will be signed in as unexcused and have three days to bring in a note from a parent or guardian. Students checking in more than 20 minutes late must report to the Main Office first, before going anywhere, even if they arrive during lunch or in between periods. Students who fail to check in will not have their absence excused.
  • Excusing Check-outs - Written notes are required to be brought to the Main Office before school starts. Parents picking up students for a checkout must sign them out in the Main Office. If the student returns to school that same day, he or she must report to the Main Office and check back in before returning to class. Students who fail to check out will not have their absence excused. The school is legally responsible for students during the school day and we need to know when and with whom students are leaving. Students are not to contact their parents via cell phone/text messaging during school hours. Students needing to contact their parent/guardian are to use the phone in the clinic or the Main Office. When a parent or guardian arrives at the Main Office to check out their student, they must provide photo identification.

Prearranged Absences

Pre-arranged absences can include religious holidays, out of town visits, etc. Whenever a student knows in advance that he/she will need to miss a day of school, the student must submit a pre-arranged absence form. This should be done at least three school days in advance by submitting a note to the Main Office from the parent/guardian stating the reason for the absence and the exact dates of the absence. 

Unexcused Absences and Tardies

  • Unacceptable Excuses - Family trips and vacations will not be excused. Other unacceptable excuses include: Babysitting, Car trouble, Power outage, Someone in your parking space, Traffic, Brother or sister is late, Missing the bus, Oversleeping, Truancy, Class cutting.
  • Leaving School Grounds - All Fairfax County Schools have a closed campus policy, which means that every student must remain on the school grounds during the school day- including lunch - unless proper checkout procedures are followed.  Failure to do so will result in unexcused absences and disciplinary action.
  • Truancy - Truancy is against state law. Per FCPS Regulation 2234, the school is required to submit an attendance referral to the Fairfax County truancy officer whenever a student accrues five unexcused absences. Truancy can result in legal action for both the student and the parent.
  • Tardies - Students are considered late to class if they arrive within the first 20 minutes of class; thereafter, they are to be marked absent.
  • Attendance Fraud - to include misrepresentation in written or oral form will be subject to disciplinary action.

Excessive Absences

FCPS Regulation 2234 states that “the principal or his or her designee may require a physician’s note in cases of chronic or long-term illness.” Five (5) consecutive and/or twelve (12) cumulative absences are considered “excessive.” A doctor’s note/official documentation is required to excuse any future absences. Any future absences without proper documentation will become unexcused. This includes check-outs from the clinic.

Any child who is absent from school for fifteen (15) consecutive days or more must be withdrawn from our enrollment.  Upon the child’s return, the parent must again officially enroll him/her.

Extra-Curricular Activity Eligibility

Students must be in school the entire day to be eligible to participate in any student activity scheduled on that day. Exceptions to this standard may be made with the prior approval of the principal or her/his designee.

Additional Information

Out of Town Parents - Whenever a parent or guardian is out of town or otherwise unavailable for the school to contact (due to travel, etc.), the parent/guardian must inform the Main Office in advance of the name, address, phone numbers (home & work) of the adult in charge of the child during the parent’s absence, who is authorized to excuse absences occurring during this period of time.

FCPS ATTENDANCE