Attendance emails

As a reminder, parents/guardians must contact their student’s sub school office to excuse an absence; email is not the acceptable process to use when notifying our school of your student’s absence.    We are aware of the FCPS online portal; however, Westfield High School is not monitoring or accepting any absences submitted via email. 

If your student has been marked absent for a specific class, please contact that teacher to determine if the absence was marked in error.  The teacher will notify the appropriate sub school to make the correction.

Students cannot excuse their own absence by emailing the sub school office, teacher, or counselor; the parent/guardian must contact the sub school office by phone to report the absence.

We request parents continue to submit their excused student absences via our attendance line (703-488-6316) or use the sub school contact information below.  Spanish attendance line: 703-488-6316.

 

Attendance Procedures:

Reporting Absences

Please send in a parent/guardian signed note or call 703-488-6316, to report all attendance issues. The attendance extensions are as follows:

• Ext 1 - SS1 (A-Dam)

• Ext 2 - SS2 (Dan-Jac)

• Ext 3 - SS3 (Jad-Mol)

• Ext 4 - SS4 (Mom-Sam)

• EXt 5 - SS5 (San-Z)

• Ext 6 - Spanish

Parent/guardian signed absence notes or telephone messages should include the following information:

• the correct spelling of the student’s name

• student’s ID number

• the reason for the absence, including symptoms, if applicable

• your relationship to the student

• a daytime phone number for the parent/guardian

Absences must be excused within three (3) days.  After three (3) days, the absence is changed to unexcused.

Please leave a specific message about why your student is not attending today. Be sure to include symptoms if they are ill, especially if they have fever, nausea, vomiting, sore throat and/or cough. If your child has a diagnosis from a health care provider, please include that information. 

Student absences due to illness must include the following:

• Be specific about the reason why your child will not be attending school today
• Please indicate whether your child has any of the following symptoms:
  • Feeling feverish or chills
  • Fever greater than or equal to 100.4 F
  • Headache (not due to another health condition, hunger, menstrual cramps stress, or injury)
  • A new cough (not due to another health condition)
  • Shortness of breath or breathing difficulties (not due to diagnosed respiratory condition or if different than normal pattern of chronic condition)
  • A new sore throat (not due to another health condition)
  • Congestion or runny nose (not related to allergies or health condition)
  • Fatigue (more tired than normal or sudden onset)
  • New muscle pain (not due to another health condition or that may have been caused by a specific activity such as physical exercise))
  • New loss of taste, smell, or appetite
  • Abdominal pain (not due to hunger, constipation, injury, or stress)
  • Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea

Prearranged Absence

To request an approved absence for an unusual reason, including college visits, a student must submit a written note from his/her parent/guardian to the appropriate subschool to receive a prearranged absence form to be completed by his/her teachers.  Notes must include the following information:

• student’s full name and student ID number

• the reason for the request

• the date(s) of the absence(s)

• a daytime phone number for the parent/guardian

• the parent/guardian signature

The prearranged absence form must be returned to the appropriate subschool at least two days prior to the absence for approval. Requests for prearranged absences do not receive automatic approval.  If approved, only the first five (5) days of the absence are approved. The remaining days of the absence are unexcused.

Late Arrival Check-In

Late arrivals to school due to medical appointments, etc., require a phone call from the parent/guardian before the start of the school day, or the student must bring a written and signed note from the parent/guardian or use the late arrival form to the subschool office upon arrival. The note should include:

• the student’s name and student ID number

• the date, time, and reason for the late arrival

• a daytime phone number for the parent/guardian

• the parent/guardian signature

Failure to check in at the appropriate subschool will result in an unexcused tardy or unexcused absence.

As per FCPS attendance policies the following reasons for late arrivals or absences are not excused: car trouble, missing bus, traffic, weather, power outages, oversleeping, and babysitting.

Early Dismissal Check-Out

Students who need to leave school grounds during the school day must bring a note or use the early dismissal form to the appropriate subschool before 8:10 a.m., to receive a check out pass. The note should include:

• the student’s name and student ID number

• the date, time, and reason for leaving school grounds

• a daytime phone number for the parent/guardian

• the parent/guardian signature

Verbal dismissals are not accepted.

If the parent/guardian was unable to send in a note with the student the following options are available:

• Fax a note to the appropriate subschool with the above information. 

• Come to the main office with a photo ID.  You will sign in and proceed to the appropriate subschool to check out your student.  If your student is in PE, lunch, or if the class is out of the classroom, this method may take extra time.  Please leave plenty of time.

Failure to check out properly will result in an unexcused absence.