Research is clear that showing up for school has a huge impact on a student’s academic and social success, starting from pre-kindergarten and continuing through high school.
Missing 10% (or about 18 days of a school year or 2 a month) can drastically affect a student’s academic success at each grade level.
By the 6th grade, absenteeism is one of three signs that can indicate if a student is at risk for dropping out of high school.
In the 9th grade, regular and high attendance is a better predictor of graduation rates than 8th grade test scores.
Please help us support a culture of showing up to school every day!
Please review Policy 9010: https://policy.hcpss.org/9000/9010/
If your student is absent, please email: emmsabsence@hcpss.org. The e-mail should include the following:
Student first and last name - absence in the subject line
Send from the e-mail address on your family file
Date and reason for absence
Parent name and phone number
Upon receipt of the note, the attendance record in Synergy will be updated per HCPSS policy. Please review HCPSS Policy 9010 – Attendance for guidelines on what is considered to be a Lawful (Excused) Absence.
A student has five days from the date of the absence to send a note. If the note is received after the five-day grace period, the absence will remain unexcused. If a note is not received, the absence will be documented as Truant (unexcused). Please see the Secondary Student Handbook for more information.
If you are requesting 3 or more discretionary days, please download the PDF fillable Discretionary Absence Form and email it to the above email address.
If you are requesting a day for a religious holiday not identified by the Howard County Public School System school calendar, please download the PDF fillable Religious Obligation Form and email it to the above email address.
What is considered an excused absence?
A lawful absence is an excused absence for any portion of the day under the following conditions:
Illness of the student
Death in the immediate family
Court summons
Observance of a religious holiday - complete THIS FORM if you need to be absent for a religious observance
Hazardous weather conditions (as determined by the Superintendent)
State emergency (as determined by the Governor)
Suspension
Lack of authorized transportation (school system transportation)
Late Arrivals
Students who arrive late to school will enter through the main entrance. Students will report to the Front Office check in with Ms. Good, Ms. Neilon, or Ms. Wolf before reporting to class. Students will be provided with a slip to share with their teacher.
If it is an excused tardy parents should email a note to EMMSabsence@hcpss.org. We will not accept handwritten notes. Please include:
Student first and last name and late arrival in the subject line
Send from the e-mail address on your family file
Indicate the reason for the late arrival.
Parent name and phone number
Early Dismissals
There will be no early dismissal after 2:50 pm daily. There is simply not enough time to process a dismissal before the regular dismissal time.
Early Dismissal Procedures:
When a parent/guardian arrives at the school, please come to either vestibule entrance with your driver's license or official ID and press the call button.
Indicate that you are here for an early dismissal of your student(s).
You will then be given access to enter the building and sent to student services. You will be asked to show your ID and sign your name and your student(s)' name.
Once confirmed that you are eligible for pick up, you will be asked to return to your vehicle or to either vestibule to await the arrival of your student.