Coming to school every day, ready to learn, is important for a child's success—and it's required by state law for children between the ages of 7 and 16. Recognizing how important attendance is in supporting student learning, Pine Hollow Middle School and WCPSS have an ambitious goal of 95% attendance from 95% of students annually. This equates to a student missing less than 9 school days per year, whether excused or unexcused. As such, please assist us with ensuring that your student attends school daily and is on time for each class, every day.

Late Arrivals & Tardies

Students who arrive after the 8:15 am late bell should enter campus using the front entrance to check in at the main office, where they will receive a tardy slip. Students who are chronically tardy to class or school may be subject to consequences listed below as a part of our school-wide tardy policy:

• 1st Tardy: Teacher warning
• 2nd Tardy: Teacher warning and contact with parent/guardian
• 3rd Tardy: Teacher-assigned lunch detention AND parent/guardian contact
• 4th Tardy (and beyond): Administrative referral and consequences

Excused Absences

As per WCPSS Board Policy, parents/guardians are expected to send a written or digital note within two (2) days of their child returning to school to have absences marked as excused. Written notes can be delivered to the main office and digital notes can be sent to kpbaker@wcpss.net and/or bwthomas@wcpss.net. Without a note, the absence will be marked unexcused. Failure to submit a note within the two (2) day window will result in the absence being coded unexcused. When sending in an excused absence note, please be sure to include student's first and last name and the date(s) of the absence.

Per School Board Policy 4400: Attendance, excused absences include:

Excused Absences for Educational Opportunities

Educational leave will be approved only for experiences that cannot be scheduled at any other break from school: holidays, workdays, or extended breaks from school, AND are explicitly and exclusively planned with educational intent. Each Request for Excused Absence for Educational Reasons will be considered independently. In order for these outside educational opportunities to be approved, the Excused Absences for Educational Reasons Form must be completed in advance of the absence(s) and submitted to the main office.

• Request for Excused Absence for Educational Reasons Form
• Request for Excused Absence for Educational Reasons Form in Spanish

To ensure that our processes are consistent with other feeder schools and schools in our area, students will not be permitted more than five (5) days of approved excused absences for educational opportunities.

Check Out/Early Dismissal

Parents/guardians must come to the Main Office to sign students out early. Upon coming to the office, they will be required to provide proper identification and use the Verkada kiosk to check out their student. There are no student dismissals after 2:30 pm.