Attendance Information

• When a student will be absent, notification should be provided to the school before, or at the start of, the school day when possible.
• To excuse an absence, written or electronic communication citing the reason(s) for the absence must be provided to the school no more than five school days following the date of the absence. 

How to report an absence

• Absences can be reported in ParentVUE the same day of the absence.
• If you need to submit an excuse for a PRIOR day or for a LATE ARRIVAL, you will need to use our designated email for reporting absences of [email protected].  Note: any email asking to excuse an absence or tardy must come from the parent's email. Anything sent from the student's email address will not be accepted.  
• Hand-written notes or doctor’s notes can also be dropped off to the front office. A note must include a parent's signature and date.

Extended Absences

As part of the division’s ongoing commitment to continuous improvement, the Student Health and Wellness (SHAW) Department conducted a comprehensive review and update of the division’s attendance policy during the 2024-25 school year. This process incorporated valuable feedback from key stakeholders, including the Attendance Project Team, a cross-functional group dedicated to enhancing student attendance outcomes. Additionally, SHAW collaborated with the Superintendent’s Principal Advisory Council and the Superintendent’s Advisory Council on Instruction to gather insights on necessary policy and regulation changes. These efforts were aimed at ensuring that updated policies and regulations provide clear guidance and promote equitable practices across the division.   

Regulation Updates:

• Clearly states that trips/travel are unexcused absences
• Principals no longer have discretion to excuse absences for extenuating circumstances
• Principals may request a doctor's note after: 
  • Three consecutive days of absence due to illness
  •  Nine days of absence due to illness during the school year

For further information on Attendance Policies and the Truancy process, please see the PWCS regulations. 

Regulation 724-1 – Attendance, Absences, Excuses, and Tardies 

• Students who are not in their classroom/first period by 8:15 a.m. will be marked tardy.
• Students who are not in their classroom by the start of each class period throughout the say will be marked tardy.
• A student's tardy will be recorded as excused or unexcused based on whether the reason for the late arrival meets the excused or unexcused absence criteria outlined in the PWCS Attendance Guidelines.

How to report an excused tardy

• If you need to submit an excuse for a PRIOR day or for a LATE ARRIVAL, you will need to use our designated email for reporting absences of [email protected].  Note: any email asking to excuse an absence or tardy must come from the parent's email. Anything sent from the student's email address will not be accepted.  
• Hand-written notes or doctor’s notes can also be dropped off to the front office. A note must include a parent's signature and date.

• No early dismissal of students will be allowed after 2:30 p.m.
• If you need to have your student dismissed early, you do not need to call or email the office in advance. Once you arrive at the office, and your I.D. has been verified against the emergency contact list, your student will be called to the office for dismissal. The last early dismissal of the day will be at 2:30 pm, so please be sure to arrive before then, with your ID, if you need to pick your student up early.

• If your student is marked absent from just one period, parents should email the teacher directly to find out what happened. The teacher will then work with the Attendance staff if a correction to attendance is required.