Attendance And Absences

Potomac Shores Middle School is required by the Virginia Compulsory Attendance Law 22.1-254 and PWCS Regulation 724-1 to uphold the attendance rules outlined in these documents. Reagan has made some changes to reflect our commitment to these regulations and procedures, by creating forms for our families to use in absence situations.

Reporting an Absence:

• Absences can be reported by parents online on ParentVUE (up to 30 days in advance).
• If you report an absence through ParentVUE, you do not need to call the office to report the absence nor do you need to write a note to send to school.
• If the absence has already passed, please email our NEW attendance mailbox at [email protected].
• The note needs to include your student's full name, the date(s) of the absence, the reason for the absence, parent name and a good contact number. 
• Pre-Approved Request: A pre-arranged absence is a request for a planned absence, not an emergency. The Pre-Approved Absence Request Form must be used for non-emergency trips and events requiring a student to be out of school, and we ask that they be completed and handed in two weeks in advance of the planned excursion. These requests can be approved or unapproved depending on the reason for the absence. These absences are discouraged and are only granted approval in extraordinary circumstances and will not be approved during standardized testing dates.

•  Emergency Leave Request: The sudden death of a loved one or a medical emergency - is simply an emergency absence. Emergencies are not pre-arranged. Parents should contact their student's guidance counselor as soon as possible after an emergency event and, if possible, before any travel is taken. This will help us communicate with teachers about a student's whereabouts.

Please be advised that vacations should be scheduled during the many breaks through-out the school year or over summer break. Every effort should be made to schedule appointments after school hours however, if your student is absent due to a doctor/dental/therapy/PT/OT/etc. appointment, we ask that you bring in a note from the provider upon your student's return to school. If you take your student to the doctor when they are absent due to being sick, it's always a good idea to provide a doctor's note upon returning to school. If your student misses 10 or more days of school, excused or unexcused, a formal letter will be sent home and a doctor's note will be required to excuse any further absences.

We hope this email and these forms make it easier on our families to understand the attendance rules and help stream-line the attendance process. As always, if you have any questions or concerns regarding attendance, please contact the main office at 703-291-3590.

Late Arrivals (Tardy To School)

Anytime a student arrives to school after 8:10 a.m., the student is tardy to school. A tardy to school is only excused with a doctor's note for appointments or by a parent or legal guardian note for emergency situations. Oversleeping, traffic, missing the bus, family discussions, and failure to bring in a note will all result in an unexcused tardy to school. Late students must check in at the lobby desk and receive a tardy pass.

Early Dismissals

If your child needs to leave school early, please come into the building to sign your child out using the tablet. You MUST have your photo ID out and ready when you come into the office. A student will not be released until the parent/guardian or other individual designated on the Emergency Card, has presented a photo ID and signed the student out in the office. 

If you have any questions, please contact the front office at 703-291-3590.

We are unable to accommodate early dismissal requests after 2:20 p.m.