• Wakefield High School –

    Parent Attendance FAQ

     
    1. What should my student do if they arrive late or return from an appointment?
    Students must check in at the Attendance Office when they arrive late or return to school from an appointment or illness. Failure to do so may result in an unexcused absence for the classes missed.
     
    2. What happens if my student signs back in without signing out first?
    Students must complete both parts of the process—signing out before leaving and signing back in upon return. Skipping either step creates attendance record issues and will be treated as skipping class.
     
    3. Can my student leave campus without permission?
    No. Students may only leave campus if they:
    • Are on an approved off-campus list (internship, CCP, or lunch pass)
    • Have been officially signed out by a parent/guardian
      Leaving campus without proper sign-out is considered skipping and will result in disciplinary actionWHS Attendance Policy and Proce….
     
    4. Can I call the school and ask that my student be released without coming inside?
    No. For safety, parents/guardians must come into the building, sign in at the visitor kiosk with a valid photo ID, and then go to the Attendance Office to sign their student out.
     
    5. My student drives to school. Can they leave on their own for appointments?
    Yes, but only if the student provides a written note or email from the parent (print or digital) before leaving. The note must include:
    • Student’s full name
    • Reason for leaving
    • Parent’s confirmation/permission
    • Departure time and parent daytime phone number
    Without this, the student will not be released.
     
    6. What if my student feels sick during the day?
    Students who are ill must go to the main office or nurse’s office. Parents will be contacted for pickup. Students should not call or text parents to arrange leaving without following this process.
     
    7. What is the cutoff time for student checkout?
    The latest time a student can be checked out is 2:05 p.m. Parents cannot sign out students during the last 10 minutes of the school day 
     
    8. How do I excuse my student’s absence?
    Parents must submit a written note or email to wakefieldhs-attendance@wcpss.net within two (2) days of the student’s return. After two days, the absence is unexcused unless third-party documentation (doctor’s note, etc.) is provided.
     
     
    Wakefield High School
    ATTENDANCE POLICY AND PROCEDURES Updated 9/15/2025
     
    Infinite Campus (PS) – Robocalls are sent daily for missed class periods based on the primary  home number under a student’s Student Contact data
     
     
    Task
    Description
     
    Attendance (Board Policy 4400)
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Students will attend each class on time, every day
    • Tardy Sweepers are on each hallway writing tardy passes 10 minutes after the tardy bell
    • After that time,.  students will need to report to the Attendance Office to obtain a tardy pass. 
     
    Period
    Tardy
    Dismissal
    1
    7:25
    8:45
    2
    8:50
    10:15
    3
    10:20
    11:40
    PACK A
    11:46
    12:15
    PACK B
    12:21
    12:50
    4
    12:55
    2:18
     
     
    Leaving Campus
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Students with an internship, early release, and/or College and Career Promise (CCP) schedule must obtain approval to leave campus.  The Career Development Coordinator and/or the Dean of Students will create a list of students approved to leave campus and email this list to the Discipline Clerk.
     
    Juniors and Seniors seeking an off-campus privilege must obtain a lunch pass before leaving campus.
     
    If a student goes off campus for lunch and does not return because he or she is ill, a parent must officially check the student out.  (They can bring a note the next day)
     
    Early Dismissal (Sign-Out/Verification)
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Parents should come to the attendance office to sign out students but may not sign out students during the last 10 min. of school.
     
    Students requesting early dismissal must present a note to the attendance office before 7:45 a.m. No student will be excused without a written note from a parent/guardian with the departure time, reason for departure, and a daytime phone number. Parents can also email the Attendance Office directly at wakefieldhs-attendance@wcpss.net
    Students who leave campus without following proper sign-out procedures will receive an unexcused absence in classes missed, and they will be considered skipping. Skipping will result in disciplinary action.  
     
     
    Sick Students
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    In the event a student contacts a parent directly to state  they are not feeling well, parents should advise them to go to the main office where they will either be sent to the nurse’s station, if the nurse is on campus, or monitored until a parent arrives to pick them up.  
     
    • Failure to follow proper procedures before leaving campus could result in disciplinary consequences. 
    Excused/
    Unexcused Absences
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Per policy, when absent, a student/parent will submit an excuse note to the Attendance Clerk within TWO days of the student's return to school. Parents can email notes to the Attendance Office directly at wakefieldhs-attendance@wcpss.net
     
    After TWO days, absences are considered unexcused unless third-party documentation is provided (e.g., doctor’s note, please refer to handbook for more details).  
     
    If third-party documentation cannot be provided, then the absence will be considered unexcused. Additionally, a doctor’s note will be required for any student who is absent due to an illness for more than five (5) days during the school year.   Saturday Academy may be offered for students to support  attendance issues. Students will be required to complete assignments while at Saturday Academy. 
     
    Students who have 5 or more unexcused absences after 4.5 weeks in each quarter may lose their parking and/or off-campus lunch pass privileges. The pass may not be returned until the end of the quarter. Attendance will be monitored closely to ensure that all students are
    up to school each and every day ready to learn.
     
    Monitoring Absences
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    If and when parents become aware of an absence, they should communicate with the school so the Attendance Clerk can update the system. Parents should send notes with their students  within two (2) days of returning back to school. Parents can email wakefieldhs-attendance@wcpss.net to provide an update on absences or excuse notes.
     
    Additionally, families should monitor not only their student’s grades but attendance in Infinite Campus to ensure that it is correct.
     
    Infinite Campus Address/Phone Updates
     
     
     
    If there are Student Contact changes, parents should communicate these to the Data Manager immediately (documentation is required to update an address). Also, parents/guardians should provide updated email addresses and cell phone numbers for additional methods of contact.
     
    Saturday School
     
     
     
    Saturday Academy may be offered approximately 8 times per semester. Saturday School will be to assist with attendance issues in classes (students must be actively working or will be dismissed).
     
     
     

For questions about attendance: Wakefieldhs-attendance@wcpss.net.

Attendance

For questions about attendance please contact:

Wakefieldhs-attendance@wcpss.net.