Attendance, Absences
Students must bring in a note signed by a parent/guardian upon returning
to school. The Absent Note Form is located on the Wootton website. Students
have three (3) days from the day they return to bring signed notes from
parents/guardians. All absent notes should be turned into the attendance office
before school, during lunch, or after school. No notes will be accepted during
class periods. After this three-day limit, an absence will be classified as unexcused
unless the administrator has granted an extension to a student's request during
these days. In order to participate in any athletic event, extracurricular activity,
scheduled school activity or practice, students must be on time and attend all
scheduled classes the day of the event. With prior approval of an administrator,
a student may be excused for prescheduled appointments.
A doctor's note is required when a student is absent for four (4) consecutive
days or more.
For any student who has reached the 20% absence list, a parent/guardian will be
notified in writing. MCPS defines an absence in accordance with the definition
of “Days Absent” in the Maryland Student Records Systems Manual, and is based
on the cumulative school year. All subsequent absences will be unexcused
unless a doctor’s note and a parental note are provided for all late arrivals and
absences. In order for a student’s name to be removed from this 20% list,
attendance must be improved and drop below 20% as reported monthly in
accordance with the Maryland Student Records System, based on a cumulative
school year.
Connect-Ed
The system, Connect-Ed, allows Wootton HS to contact homes when students
have been marked absent by teachers in one or more classes. Parents/guardians
should check the ParentVue if they have questions regarding a student’s absence
from class(s) before contacting the main office at 240-740-1500.
Attendance
Each student's attendance record at school is very important. Academic
achievement is difficult to attain with poor attendance habits.
All students are expected to be in every scheduled class on time every day unless
legitimately excused. According to state regulations, absence, tardy or early
departure from school for the following reasons are lawful and shall be excused:
􀁸 Death in immediate family
􀁸 Court summons (documentation must be provided)
􀁸 Illness of student
􀁸 Observance of religious holiday
􀁸 Medical appointment with doctor’s note
􀁸 Work or activity accepted by school authorities
(must have prior administrative approval)
􀁸 Violent Storms
􀁸 State Emergency
􀁸 Quarantine
􀁸 Suspension
􀁸 Lack of authorized (MCPS) transportation
The written reason is very important so the Attendance secretary can
appropriately code the absence.
Please note: Family reason or family emergency will always need to be approved
by the student’s grade level administrator.
Family vacations are not excused. If unusual circumstances arise, however, an
administrator may excuse the absence in advance.
Absentee Notes
All parental, medical, or "age of majority" notes must include the following:
name of student, ID number, grade, date, and reason for absence or lateness,
phone number where a parent/guardian may be reached during the day, and the
parent/guardian signature. All notes should be no smaller than 4x6 (form can be
found on the Wootton website). A student is considered unexcused until he/she
brings a note to the attendance office within 3 days of the absence.
If a student’s parents/guardians are planning on being out of town, it is
imperative that the administrator receive the following information in advance
of the departure:
􀁸 Dates that the parents/guardians will be gone
􀁸 Address and phone number of where the student will be staying
􀁸 Who is responsible for the student while the parents/guardians are
away
Make-Up Work Policies
Each student has a responsibility to inquire and make up work regardless of
the reason for the absence. When the absence is excused, the teacher has an
obligation to assist the student in making up the class work that is missed. When
the absence is unexcused, the teacher has no obligation to assist the student in
making up work for credit; however, the student is still responsible for making
up the work so that continuing effective course participation is possible.
When a student is absent, it is the student's responsibility to see the teacher in
order to schedule any make-up work. Students who are absent one day should
be prepared to take any scheduled tests or to turn in any assignments on the day
that they return to school. Students who are absent for two or more days should
be prepared to make up missed tests or assignments within the same number of
school days that they are absent.
For extended illnesses (three days or more) students are encouraged to have
their parents/guardians contact the counseling services office for class
assignments. A twenty-four hour notice is required to prepare a list of missed
assignments.
Unexcused Absence From Class
Due to the recent Board of Education decision regarding Loss of Credit for classes
based on attendance, unlawful absences will be considered disciplinary
infractions. Furthermore, students will be expected to make up missed work
regardless of the legal status of their absence, in accordance with regulation
IKARA,
Grading and Reporting.
Students who have numerous unexcused absences in a class may receive an
automatically generated letter from the county in regards to the possibility of
failure. If you receive a letter and have a concern, please contact the student’s
counselor and administrator. The counselor will consult with the student and
the parents/guardians, verify reasons for the absences, and determine the
appropriate interventions.
Other Absences
Under unusual circumstances written requests submitted at least 10 days in
advance will be reviewed by the student’s grade level administrator.
Examples of these unusual absences include, but are not limited to: non-school
sponsored sports, Internships, religious camps or retreats.
Student’s must present to the attendance office, a signed note from the
parent/guardian along with the invitational letter from the event.
Parents/guardians must realize that extended absences may jeopardize a
student’s successful completion of course objectives and may adversely affect a
successful learning experience.
Absences such as vacations, ski trips, and family visitations are discouraged and
unexcused.
College Visits
Seniors will be allowed a maximum of 5 days per school year. Juniors will be
allowed a maximum of 3 days during their second semester. Students MUST
bring in the invitation letter/email from the campus/university to the attendance
office before or after their college visit in order for the absence to be excused.
Late Arrival
All students arriving to school after 7:45 a.m. must sign in at the attendance
office immediately if they have excused notes signed by parents/guardians.
Students arriving before 7:55 a.m. who do not have written excuses, should
report directly to period 1 and will be considered unexcused tardy. They will have
only one day to bring in parent/guardian notes to have the absences changed to
excused.
Unexcused Tardiness
Tardiness is defined as not being in the classroom at the beginning of the period.
After twenty (20) minutes, unexcused tardiness is to be treated as an unexcused
absence. Three unexcused tardies equate to one unexcused absence. Students
are expected to be in class at all times. Students found outside of class without
passes will be given detentions. Possible action: Student warned by teacher,
teacher may assign detention for any unexcused tardiness beyond the third
unexcused tardy but must assign detention for every third unexcused tardiness
and must contact parents.
Early Dismissal
Students leaving for an early departure must turn in a signed parent note to
the attendance office before 7:40am. This note must contain the reason for
the absence, the student’s ID, grade, students full name, time leaving and
parent’s signature. A parent/guardian must be reached in order for all early
dismissals to be validated and the student excused, including students leaving
from the health room. Students who leave school grounds and do not sign out
in the attendance office will not be allowed to bring in an excused note the next
day. Students must sign out in the attendance office before leaving the school
building or they will be unexcused.
If you did not send a note or your child forgot the note, you must call the main
office at 240-740-1500 in advance so we can send a student aide (if we have one)
to deliver the dismissal pass. You may also come in the building and request your
child, but remember this may take some time.
If a student does not have a note to leave
early, a parent should call the main office number (240-740-1500), so they can
have a pass sent to the student to be released. The student must sign out with
the main office pass before exiting the building, otherwise they will be
unexcused.
Early Dismissal Returns (same day)
Students returning the same day must sign in and have the time noted and
initialed on their pass page. Students are considered unexcused from classes
missed until they show the teacher their pass page to verify the excused
absence. Students returning to school from early departures must submit
doctors’ or dentists’ notes in order for the absences to be excused.
Early Departure, Health Room
Students who become ill during the school day will get a pass from their teacher
and the report to the health room. Following this procedure ensures accurate
attendance reporting and the safety of the student. The health room will call the
parent/guardian(s) listed on the emergency contact list. The student must sign
out at the attendance office before leaving the building. Please discourage your
child from using their cell phone to contact parent to leave school early.
Leaving School Grounds Without Permission
Any student leaving school grounds at any time during the school day must sign
out in the attendance office. Students who violate these procedures will be
considered unexcused and ineligible to participate in any school sponsored extra-
curricular activities that day. No student may leave the school grounds without
the permission of a parent, guardian, or prior written notice from a student who
exercises the age of majority and the approval of the principal or assistant
principal. Possible action: Referral to administrator, parent contact, detention, in-
school
Suspension
Age of Majority
A student reaching the age of eighteen who wishes to exercise their age of
majority should submit a letter requesting it to their counselor. The counselor
will forward the recommendation to an administrator for final approval. A
parent/guardian may still be notified of student attendance and discipline
problems. Privilege may be revoked if abused.