Hayfield Secondary School Attendance Contract
2012-2013
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.
1) EXCUSED ABSENCES, CHECK-INS AND CHECK-OUTS
a) Acceptable Excuses – Illness, doctor/dentist appointment, religious holiday, death in the family, suspension,
college visit.
b) Unacceptable Excuses –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.
c) Excusing Absences – A parent/guardian must submit written notes or phone the Attendance Office to excuse
absences no later than three days after the absence. Call (703) 924-7419 between 7:00 AM and 2:00 PM; or you
can leave a message. Please identify the student’s complete name and grade level, your name, work and home
phone numbers on all notes and phone messages. All notes/phone calls received after three days will be
referred to the Dean of Students.
d) 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, whether excused or unexcused, must report to the Attendance 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. A doctor’s/dentist’s note is required for student’s arriving late due to appointments.
e) Excusing Check-outs – Written notes are required to be brought to the Attendance Office before school starts. A
pass will be given to the student stating the time the student is to be released from class to go to the Attendance
Office. At the Attendance Office, the student will be issued a checkout pass which is kept by the student.
Parents picking up students for a checkout must sign them out in the Attendance Office. If the student
returns to school that same day, he or she must report to the Attendance 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, subschool or the Attendance Office. When a
parent or guardian arrives at the Attendance Office to check out their student, they must provide photo
identification.
f) 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 Attendance 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.
2) PREARRANGED ABSENCES - Pre-arranged absences can include religious holidays, out of town visits, college
visits, etc. Whenever a student knows in advance that he/she will need to miss a day of school, the student must
request a pre-arranged absence form. This should be done at least three school days in advance by submitting a note
to the Attendance Office, from the parent/guardian, stating the reason for the absence and the exact dates of the
absence. After tentative approval is given by the Attendance Office, the student is given a form that must be signed
by all of his/her teachers. The student must return the completed form to the attendance Office at least one day in
advance of the absence before final approval will be given. Students are expected to make up any missed work.
3) 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.
4) UNEXCUSED ABSENCES AND TARDIES
a) ACADEMIC CREDIT – Grading is based on work performance and class participation. If a student is absent
unexcused, no credit can be earned for those assignments.
b) Skip Days - "Skip days" are prohibited and are unexcused absences.
c) 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. This includes going to your car to get an item you forgot in the morning. Failure to do so
will result in unexcused absences and Saturday School.
d) 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.
e) Tardies – Students are considered late to class if they arrive within the first 20 minutes of class; thereafter, they
are to be marked absent.
f) Attendance Fraud - to include misrepresentation in written or oral form will be subject to disciplinary
action.
5) Disciplinary Consequences:
a)
b)
c)
d)
Assigned after school detention, Saturday School or alternative detention.
Assigned community service.
Exclusion from extracurricular activities and school trip privileges.
Formal Attendance Referral submitted to the Attendance Officer for further action and possible Juvenile and
Domestic Relations Court sanctions.
6) 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.