It is very important that your child is in school everyday. However, we do realize that this cannot always be the case. Here are a few tips that might be of help during the school year:

• If your child has a medical condition that will cause him/her to be out numerous times during the school year - please let us know by providing us with written documentation from the doctor's office.

• If your child has a medical or dental appointment, please send in a doctor's note with your child and have them turn it in at the front office or you can fax it to 540-347-6145.

• If your child will not be coming to school please call and let us know (you can call as early as you like we have an answering machine). If you know your child is going to be absent in advance you can send a note into the front office.

Please REMEMBER we must have verification (a phone call, e-mail or a written note) of an absence from a Parent or Guardian - we cannot take the word of a student.  


Tardies will be treated with the same seriousness as the school division treats truancy. Throughout the school year a student can have no more than 10 tardies. If a student is tardy 10 or more times during the school year without a doctor's excuse - a conference will be scheduled with the school and the Attendance Case Manager.

For all tardies over 10 that are not considered legitimate (doctor or dental excuse required); he or she will be required to attend after-school detention (ASD). The time the student spends in detention is based on their accumulated time.

Ex: A Student signs in at 8:12 and this is their 11th tardy (with no legitimate excuse) - then he or she has just accrued 37 minutes of detention. Detention will be done in 1 ½ hour increments. Any student failing to attend ASD will be required to attend Saturday detention. If a student still does not make up his/her time, the student will not be allowed to attend any extra-curricular activities (games, dances, yearbook signing party, etc).

• Any student with 5 unexcused (no contact with parent, note or dr's excuse) absences, a conference will be required

• 6 day absences / tardies - letter will be mailed home

• 10 day absences / tardies without doctor's excuses - letter will be mailed home requesting a conference

• If attendance does not improve after 10 day conference - a referral will be mailed to the Attendance Case Manager.

• Each student's situation is looked at on an 'Individual Case Basis'.

Please note all attendance letters mailed home are automatically generated.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding attendance please feel free to give me a call at 540-347-6140 or click on "contact form" at the upper left of this page to send me an e-mail.

 

Susan Sheldon