• Attendance Status

    1) On-site Instruction Days

    To be counted present during on-site instruction days a student must be in attendance at least one-half of the student school day. This shall include attendance at official school activities at a place other than school with the approval of the principal. A student shall be in his/her assigned area at the beginning of the school day and the beginning of each class or be recorded as tardy.

    2) Remote Instruction Days

    To be counted present during remote instruction days, either of the following two statements must be true:

    1. student completes their daily assignments, either online or offline; and/or a student is present in synchronous (live, real-time) instruction.
    2. student has a daily check-in or a two-way communication in a manner acceptable to the school with the appropriate teacher(s) as follows:

    Excused Absences 

    Include:

    VA Students

    Temporary technology issue that prevents the student from logging on and/or accessing instruction.  In addition to providing a written excuse following the return from absence,

    • a)  If a student has an issue with his/her/their technological device that prevents the student from accessing instruction, the student’s parent or guardian must submit a ticket to the WCPSS Help Desk and contact the student’s teacher or attendance office within 48 hours of the absence in order for the absence to be excused.
    • b)  If a student is temporarily unable to access the internet, the student’s parent or guardian must communicate that information within 48 hours to the student’s teacher and attendance office in order for the absence to be excused.

    Unexcused Absences 

    Include, but are not limited to the following: missed bus, oversleeping, car trouble, personal errands, out-of-school suspension, trips without prior approval, and failure to bring a parent note in the allotted time frame.

    You will be notified if there are three or more unexcused absences, and we will work with you and your child if there is a concern that absences are becoming excessive.  

    Absence Procedures

    When returning to school after an absence, students must bring notes from parents or guardians to the Attendance Office or email it to SGHS-ATTENDANCE@WCPSS.NET.

    Students have two school days to turn in a note after an absence. If a student does not bring a note within two days of returning to school, the absence will be marked unexcused.

    Your child will need to make up all the work he or she missed, as scheduled by the teacher.

    For more information, review School Board Policy 4400: Attendance.

    Checking Out of School

    Students cannot leave campus during the school day without permission from parents or guardians, and the school. 

    No student is to leave school for any reason during the school day without checking out through the Attendance Office. Leaving school for any reason without checking out through the Attendance Office will be considered as an unexcused absence or skipping, even if the student returns with a note from a parent or guardian the next day.

    Students over 16, who are driving themselves and need to check out early, are to bring a note from a parent/guardian to the Attendance Office (student’s first/last name, date, time, parent signature, valid telephone number(s) and reason for leaving). Notes will be verified by calling the parent phone number listed in PowerSchool.

    For students not driving themselves or if a parent/guardian needs to check out a student during the day, the parent must come to the front door and ring the doorbell to check the student out. Parents will be asked for ID.  No “walk in” check outs are permitted between 1:50 p.m. and 2:18 p.m.

    If parents have been notified that their child is sick and needs to be picked up from the CARE CENTER, you will be asked for ID and your student will be released to you.

    Students who check out for dental or doctor appointments or court/DMV appointments must bring proof of the appointment to the Attendance Office when returning to school or a picture of the note may be emailed to SGHS-ATTENDANCE@WCPSS.NET. If emailing the note, please include the student’s name in the subject line of the email. Failure to bring proof can result in an unexcused absence.

    Tardies   

    Class begins promptly at 7:25 am.  If a student arrives to class after the tardy bell rings, they will be marked as an unexcused tardy unless the student provides a doctor/parental note that falls under the WCPSS Guidelines of excused absences. Please refer to the list of reasons listed under Excused Absences.

    For students with three or more unexcused tardies, their parents will be notified. 

    Arrival/Departure of Students

    Students should not arrive on campus before 6:55 am unless they have made prior arrangements with a faculty member. Students must leave campus by 2:30 pm  unless they are participating in a school-sponsored activity or are under the direction of a faculty member.

    Buses

    The back lot is reserved for buses and assigned parking. Do not use this lot for student drop-off. Students riding the bus should get to the bus lot as quickly as possible at dismissal to avoid missing their bus. Students should stay alert when leaving school and stay clear of the bus lane. Changes to bus schedules will be made via school announcements when necessary. 

    Parents, please allow time for bus drivers to get to know the routes and their passengers during the first two weeks of school. 

    Powerschool

    One of the best ways to keep up with your student’s attendance is to get access to their Powerschool account.  To get started, please visit:  https://www.wcpss.net/Domain/69.



    Parent Handbook

    The WCPSS Student/Parent Handbook can be accessed at the website:  

    Parent-Student Handbook (English)  

    Parent-Student Handbook (Spanish)