Attendance Procedures

Procedures and policies regarding student attendance

Attendance Form

Submit a student absence by using one of these three methods.

School Hours:

The school day is from 7:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.  The warning bell will ring at 7:25 a.m.  Students are tardy after 7:30 a.m. Four minutes are allowed between classes and students are expected to arrive at each class, be seated, and ready to begin on time.

The regular school day ends at 2:15 p.m.  There are late activity buses on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.  The late activity period is from 2:15 - 4:30. There are two blocks of activity and the late buses leave around 4:40 p.m.

Absent from School:

  1.  Call 703-846-8080 (Attendance Message Line), use our online attendance form or email @email on the morning of the absence. 
  2.  Provide student’s name, your relationship to the student, date/time, and reason for absence.
  3.  If students will be absent for more than one day, a call or email must be made each day.
  4.  Students should check with their Eagle Time Advisor when they return to school for missed work. 

Pre- Arranged Absences:

  1. Call 703-846-8080 (Attendance Message Line) or email @email in advance of your child’s planned absence.  ​​​
  2. Provide name, caller’s name/relationship to student, date/time, duration, and reason,
  3. Student should complete a Pre-Arranged Thoreau Absentee Sheet in advance so that they don’t fall behind on class work.
  4. It is not necessary to call in everyday for a pre-arranged absence.

Late to School:

  1. Students arriving late to school must report directly to the main office.
  2. An excused tardy is given for illness with a note, a prior phone call or email from a parent/guardian, a medical/dental appointment, late school bus, or family emergency
  3.  An unexcused tardy is given for a missed bus, heavy traffic, oversleeping or a reason which is unconfirmed by parent/guardian.

Early Release from School:

  1. When it is necessary for a student to leave school before regular dismissal time, parents should send a signed note or send an email to @email designating the desired time of departure.
  2.  The student should bring his/her note to the office when he/she arrives at school in the morning or parents should send an email no later than 10 AM the day of the early release.  The student will receive a check-out pass for the designated pick-up time, will be excused from class, and will wait for pick-up in the main office. 
  3.  Parents must come into the main office to sign out their child.  Students must check back in at the main office upon their return.
  4.  Students who leave school without checking out properly will be marked “unexcused” and may face disciplinary action. 

Tardy to Class:

  1. Students are to be in their classrooms/seats when the bell rings to begin the class period. Excessive tardiness may result in a detention with the teacher. Habitual tardiness may result in other disciplinary action.
  2. Remember, students must make contact with all teachers for any classes missed.
  3. Regularly check each course’s FCPS-24/7-Learning Blackboard site or Google Classroom.

Attendance Policies

  1. FCPS regulation requires a referral of a student to the attendance officer when a student accumulates five full-day unexcused absences.  Any further unexcused absences require intervention. 
  2. A letter will be sent home if a student is absent 10 or more days whether excused or unexcused.  Medical documentation may be required for future absences.
  3. A letter will be sent home every 5 tardies (excused or unexcused).
  4. Subsequent letters will be sent home in increments of 5 continued morning tardies.