Attendance
Absences
Attendance at school is an important part of student success and achievement. A pattern of absences may put a student at risk of not achieving the Academic Knowledge and Skills (AKS) for their grade. Certain absences are considered to be excused according to state guidelines. Excused absences include:
Personal illness or attendance in school endangering a student’s health or the health of others.
- A serious illness or death in a student’s immediate family requiring absence from school.
- A court order or an order from a governmental agency mandating absence from school.
- Observing religious holidays, necessitating absence from school.
- Conditions making attendance impossible or hazardous to student health or safety.
If your child is absent from school, you need to send an excuse note using the ParentVue App stating the reason for his/her absence. Should the reason be one noted above, your child’s absence will be marked excused. It is important for parents to be aware of attendance requirements. Please read the GCPS Student/Parent Handbook for more information about attendance guidelines. Our Bethesda staff monitors student attendance very carefully. Teachers will contact parents when tardies and/or early check-out and/or absences become a concern for student achievement. When a student reaches 10 unexcused absences, he/she will be referred to the counselor and/or social worker for a Student Attendance Referral Committee (SARC) meeting. The purpose of such meeting will be to develop a plan of action to assist in improving the student’s attendance. If a student’s attendance does not improve after this meeting, a referral may be made to the Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS) and/or Juvenile Court.
Bethesda Elementary School awards Certificates of Attendance to students in grades 1-5 who are present every school day. To be counted as present, students must attend at least one-half day of instruction (3 1/2 hours). Students who have three or more early check-out and/or tardies will not be eligible for local
school attendance awards. On early release days students must be present 1 hour and 45 minutes to be counted present.
Early Check-Out
If it becomes necessary for parents to pick up students before the end of the school day, parents should call into the security desk for checkout. The child will be paged while the parent signs the child out on the computer. A government issued picture identification must be shown to check your child out of school.
Children can only be released to adults listed in our Student Information System. No students will be dismissed after 2:15p.m., as this would interfere with bus dismissal. According to state law, vehicles are not allowed in the bus lanes during this time. NOTE: individual (s) 18 or older with valid picture ID must pick up
students. Students may not be released directly from classrooms or cafeteria and must be called to the office for check-out. Refer to our Safety Information page for information about how to use our vestibule system. Please help us protect your child by following these procedures.
Late Arrival Check-In
Students arriving after 8:15 a.m. will be marked tardy. An adult must call into the security desk with the child and sign in. Security personnel will give the student a note to enter class. Please be aware of the time bringing students to school. Car rider lane closes at 8:10 a.m. Once the car rider lane is closed, please drive your student to the front of the school. Refer to our Safety Information page for information about how to use our vestibule system. Please help us protect your child by following these procedures.
Make-up Work
It is the responsibility of the student to make arrangements to make up work missed when absent. Students will not be provided with make-up work prior to absences. If your child is absent two or more days, you may call the school office and request that assignments be prepared for pick up the next day in the office. If your child will only miss one day, work can be made up the next day.