Attendance Office

When an absence is unexpected, parents or guardians should contact the Attendance Office with an explanation immediately following the absence through voicemail, email, or via ParentVue.  Notification must be received within 2 days of a student’s return to school.  For pre-planned absences, please contact the Attendance Office by voicemail or email as soon as arrangements are made.

Regular, punctual student attendance is necessary for student success at Yorktown and  is expected unless excused by a parent, guardian, or school official. Parents or guardians should notify the school, in writing, of pre-arranged absences. When an absence is unexpected, parents or guardians should contact our  Attendance Office by phone, email, or through ParentVue.  They may also send in a note of explanation immediately following the absence to be submitted to the Attendance Office (Room 196).

Unexcused absences and/or tardiness may impact successful course completion.  Parents/guardians are notified via an automatic phone call during the evening if their child has been absent from a class that day.   The Virginia Department of Education requires each school district to include the number of days absent for the given year on each student’s transcript.

The Arlington School Board Policy J-5.1.30 delineates the steps taken by school staff in regards to student full day unverified absences.  Additional information is available through the Policy Implementation Procedures (J-5.1.30 PIP).   Students are automatically withdrawn from school if they have fifteen (15) days of consecutive absences per VDOE policy 8VAC20-110-130.

Excused Absences include illness, death, quarantine, religious holiday, violent storm, court summons, or state emergency. Parent contact with the Attendance Office through voicemail, email, or ParentVue or a note from the parent or guardian must be received within two (2) days of the student’s return. It is the student’s responsibility to make up missed school work.

Excused Absence Request Form (1)

Late Arrivals must report directly to the Attendance Office in room 196 or the main office to sign in upon arrival. Students must present a note or phone call from their parent/guardian to be excused for the late arrival.  If a student does not sign in, a student is assumed to be absent for the entire school day.

Students attending class every day on time is one key to student success at Yorktown.  Our administrative team will be monitoring unexcused tardies and unverified absences on a regular basis.  Students with 3 or more unverified absences or unexcused tardies in a class will receive the consequences listed below.  This process is to provide accountability for being in class, but also to provide time and support to make up missed work.

Unverified Absences

Students who accumulate 3 or more unverified absences in a class will receive an after school detention.

• • Following the initial after school detention, additional detentions will be assigned each time the student accumulates three of more unverified absences in a class.
  • Parents will be notified of each after school detention via email with an update on the total number of unverified absences in each class.
  • Students with 3 or more full day unverified absences will meet with our attendance specialist.

Unexcused Tardies

Students who accumulate 3 or more unexcused tardies in a class will receive a lunch detention.

• • Following the initial lunch detention, additional detentions will be assigned each time the student accumulates three more tardies in a class.
  • Parents will be notified of each lunch detention assignment for tardies via email with an update on the total number of tardies in each class.

Students who do not attend their assigned detentions are subject to additional consequences assigned by their grade level administrator.

Students must present a note or phone call from their parent or guardian and sign out in the Attendance Office before leaving school. Otherwise, the absence will be considered unexcused for the period(s) missed that day. If the student is returning the same day, he/she must report to the Attendance Office to sign in before going to class.

Any student, regardless of the reason for absence or late arrival, cannot participate in any school-sponsored activity scheduled on that day unless the student has been present at school for half of the school day. See the Director of Student Activities in advance for exceptions.

Any student wishing to withdraw from school or transfer to another school must bring a letter signed by his/her parent or guardian to the Counseling Department stating the reason for the withdrawal/transfer and indicating the last day of attendance at Yorktown. Upon request, a transcript of the student’s official record will be mailed directly to the new school. All monetary obligations and materials on loan must be cleared and the parent or guardian must sign a release before records will be sent.