IMPORTANT ATTENDANCE INFORMATION
Welcome to the beginning of another school year. We hope you had an enjoyable summer break and are looking forward to another exciting and productive school year. We want to start the year emphasizing how important attendance is in the success of your students.
As partners in our children’s education, we ALL must take school attendance very seriously. Below is important information related to attendance requirements.
Virginia Standards of Accreditation
Starting for the 2019-2020 school year, part of your school’s accreditation with the State of Virginia is tied to attendance, regardless of reason. This is called CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM, which includes ALL absences (excused AND unexcused).
MCPS codes absences as excused or unexcused.
Examples of excused absences include (for a full explanation see MCPS policy 7-2.3):
- court appearance
- death in the family
- religious holidays
- college visit or work based learning opportunity
- Illness
- doctor/dental appointments
The Code of Virginia requires MCPS address unexcused absences by (for a full explanation see Virginia Code 22.1-258):
- contacting parents
- developing attendance plan.
- holding attendance conferences
- involving the court system if all interventions are unsuccessful
We ask that YOU join with us to help our students form good habits such as:
- Getting plenty of sleep
- Eating a good breakfast (either at home or at school)
- Encouraging good study habits so that students are on time and ready to learn
- Seeking additional support if needed
The policy regarding Attendance is available online via our BoardDocs system. Use the drop-down boxes on the left-hand side to navigate to Policy 7-2.3.