Daily Attendance
PGCPS Attendance Policy - AP 5113
All students are expected to attend school regularly in accordance with The Public Schools Laws and Bylaws of Maryland 1984. According to Bylaw 13A.08.01.02, “Absence from school, including absence for any portion of the day, of students who are presently enrolled in public schools shall be considered lawful only under the following conditions:
Excessive absences will result in a referral to the Pupil Personnel Worker for further investigation.
Family vacations and babysitting younger children are not lawful reasons for absenteeism, and will not be counted as such.
Tardiness
Children may enter the cafeteria for breakfast at 7:20 a.m. Students are expected to be seated in their classroom and ready to learn at 7:45 a.m. The beginning of the day is extremely important for students and teachers. When a child arrives late, the class and teacher are inconvenienced and the late student is unaware of announcements and instruction that has already been given. In addition, arriving on time is a habit that we work to establish with all children at a young age. We urge parents to make every effort to have your child at school on time each day. Students arriving late, after 7:45 a.m., must report with their parent/legal guardian to the office to obtain a late pass to take to their teacher. Excessive tardies may result in a referral to the Pupil Personnel Worker for further action.
Students late without a note have 48 hours to produce a note. Students who are late because of school buses will not be penalized and will be provided with a late pass. Students who are late because of transportation of any type other than school buses will not be excused. Trips, traffic and vacations are not considered excused late arrivals.
Absence
When the child returns to school after an absence, you must send a note to the teacher explaining the reason for the child’s absence or complete the electronic form. Teachers will review missed work when a child returns to school after an excused lawful absence. Parents are encouraged to contact the teacher to obtain missed assignments.
Students who are absent one or two days must submit a note from the parent/legal guardian to their teacher within two days of their return to school stating the date and reason for the absence and a phone number where the parent can be contacted during the day or complete the electronic form. Students who are absent three or more days must bring in a note from their physician. Students who are absent for reasons not stated in under daily attendance or who fail to provide an acceptable note within 48 hours, will have their absence marked as unexcused, and they may not be allowed to make up the work they missed in class.
If a student is going to be absent from school for more than three days for medical reasons, the parent/legal guardian needs to inform the school so that arrangements can be made for make-up work.
Early Dismissal
Occasionally, you may have to check your child out of school to go to the doctor or dentist. If you must do this, the child must be signed out of the Main Office before 1:45 pm. There are to be no early departures between 1:45 pm and 2:10pm. This is one of the most important times of the day, and classes cannot be interrupted. During the conclusion of the day, teachers are reviewing work covered, making certain that students understand the homework assignment, and that students get all materials in their book bags. Parents are not to enter classrooms at this time, and under no circumstances are they to leave with a child during this time.
REMEMBER, ALL VISITORS MUST SIGN-IN IN THE MAIN OFFICE. THIS IS FOR THE SAFETY AND PROTECTION OF ALL OF OUR CHILDREN.
Parents are asked to send a note to the child’s teacher. The note will be given to the school office for verification. When arriving to pick up children for early dismissal, parents must report to the main office. Every adult that wishes to pick up a child from school must show a valid, government issued picture ID. There will be no exceptions. Office staff will notify the teacher that you have arrived and your child will meet you in the office. If a child is being picked up by an adult outside the family, that person must be designated on the child’s Student Information Sheet, or have a note from the parent or guardian on record, and they must show a valid, government issued picture ID. This precaution is in the interest of maintaining your child’s safety. Early dismissals are only permitted prior to 1:15 pm. After that time, you will have to wait for normal dismissal times/procedures. This helps ensure a safe and smooth dismissal for all.
Unless the office has been notified in writing, no changes will be made to a student’s regular dismissal routine. When possible, if you alter your child’s dismissal routine, please discuss the changes with your child in advance.
