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Attendance Procedures & Check-In/Out

Attendance Procedures 

Check Out (Leaving school early) Policy & Checking In (Arriving to school late) Policy

All students arriving to school following the 7:00am tardy bell will report to the Attendance Office (RM# 1.104) near the front of the school. All students arriving late to school should be dropped off in the front of the school. Parents/Guardians are NOT required to check their child into school, however, parents/guardians must provide documentation.

To be considered for an excused check in:

  • the parent/guardian MUST provide a signed note (through email MHS.attendance@gcpsk12.org or physical copy) with the date, reason for lateness, and a phone number for follow-up. All emails must come from an authorized email address in the student's profile.

or

  • the student must provide medical or court documentation excusing tardiness to school

Please note that students who miss more than half of their classes will be considered absent for the entire day even if they check into school late. 

ALL students leaving school early MUST check out in the attendance office. CHECK OUTS end at 1:15 pm. To check students out of school, parents/guardians must come to the attendance office near the front of the school and provide government-issued identification (driver's license, state issued ID, passport, etc.). Our attendance officials will verify identification and call the student to the front of the school to leave. Only authorized individuals in the student's file will be allowed to check out the student.

  • All checkouts are considered unexcused unless medical or court documentation is provided.

  • Check outs end at 1:15 pm. After 1:15 pm, we are preparing for dismissal and will not be able to check students out. It is important that parents/guardians do NOT arrive after 1:15pm for check outs as they will block the buses from being able to enter the bus lane.

  • Please advise: Meadowcreek is a large building and it may take your student about 10-15 minutes to travel to the front of the school. We appreciate your patience.

Absences from School

Gwinnett County Board of Education Policy states that students will be excused from school under the following circumstances:

  • Personal illness: individuals whose attendance in school will endanger their health or the health of others. Medical documentation may be required upon the return to school for the purpose of validating a serious or extended illness.

  • Serious illness or death in the immediate family, formal documentation of a funeral brochure, program, or obituary is required to be excused.

  • Doctor/Dentist/other healthcare professional appointment, a doctor, dental, or other healthcare provider documentation is required to be excused.

  • Recognize a county approved religious holiday.

  • Students under orders of a government agency, a court or government mandated paper are required to be excused.

  • Voter Registration (18 years or older) or voting

  • Service as a page in the Georgia General Assembly

  • Conditions rendering school attendance impossible or hazardous to student’s health or safety

  • A student misses school to spend time with active duty combat-zone parent(s) who are about to leave for overseas deployment or who are between military deployments.

  • For an absence to be excused, the student must bring a signed note from a parent or guardian or formal documentation stating the reason for the absence within 5 days of returning to school to the Attendance Office (rm#1.104 near the front of the school). Please make sure to include the following information in the note:

    • Student's contact name

    • Student ID#

    • The date(s) of absence

    • Reason for the absence

    • Parent's/guardian’s full name and contact number.

  • Parent notes will be accepted for up to ten (10) days to excuse absences. After that, formal documentation is required to excuse absences.

  • Formal medical documentation may be required for the purpose of validating a serious illness or extended illness.

  • Should your child need to miss 2 or more days of school, please contact the Attendance Office at mhs.attendance@gcpsk12.org. When emailing the attendance office, please include your full name, your child's full name, and student ID number (if available).

  • It is the student's responsibility to inquire about any missed work during their absence. Parents/Guardians can also contact teachers directly regarding making up missed assignments.

Excessive Absences Policy

  • Chronic absenteeism affects a student’s ability to learn and succeed in school.

  • School-approved field trips/activities, medically documented absences, and suspensions will NOT count towards excessive absences.

  • Students with chronic illness – Students with a chronic medical condition must present medical documentation of the condition and at least one doctor note before parent notes will be accepted for absences.

  • If a student has a serious medical or legal problem, the student’s parent/guardian should notify the attendance office (mhs.attendance@gcpsk12.org).

College Visits

It is best for students to choose to visit colleges during the weekend or summer and not to miss a school day for a college visit. If a senior must go to a college during a school day, they will need to present the College Visit form to the attendance office upon their return from the college. Parents need to fill out a portion, then it is presented to each teacher. Upon the actual visit to the college, a signature from a college official is needed to verify that the senior attended the visitation. Once the form is complete, it will be turned in to the school’s attendance office.

  • Student name
  • Student ID number
  • Date of Absence 
  • Parent Signature