Whitman Attendance

The Attendance Secretary is located in the Main Office. If you have a question that is not answered on this website, please call 240-740-4801 for assistance. 

To submit documentation for absences and late arrivals, please use this 2025-2026 Attendance Google Form. Please note: the form will no longer be available after June 16, 2026.

Important: A phone call or voicemail will NOT excuse an absence or late arrival. Official documentation must be submitted through the Attendance Google Form.

MCPS Attendance Policies and Procedures

Unless a student is ill or has an approved excuse, they are required to attend all scheduled classes and school activities throughout the day. 

• Attendance is recorded during each class period.

• If a student is marked absent for any period, an automated message will be sent to parents/guardians.

• If you receive this notification, please check ParentVUE (or have your student check StudentVUE) to identify which period(s) reflect an absence before contacting the Attendance Office. 

All absences are considered unexcused until the Attendance Google Form is filled out and submitted.

For detailed attendance guidelines, refer to the MCPS Student Rights & Responsibilities Handbook (page 5). 

FULL DAY ABSENCE

If your student will be absent for the day, we encourage you to submit the information through the Attendance Google Form as soon as possible to help avoid delays in updating attendance records. 

The Attendance Google Form submission must be provided to the attendance secretary within three school days of the student's return to school. Submissions received after the three-day window will result in the absence being marked as unexcused. 

MCPS Guidelines for Absences (MCPS Student Rights & Responsibilities)

Excused Absences: 

• Worked approved or sponsored by the school, MCPS, or MSDE

• Death in the immediate family

• Student illness and well-being concerns (Dr.'s note required after three days)

• Pregnancy and parenting-related conditions

• Court summons

• Hazardous weather conditions/ State emergency

• Doctor/medical appointments

• Observance of a religious holiday

• Suspension

• Lack of authorized transportation (for example, if the school bus does not show up)

• Permission from the principal

Unexcused Absences:

• Family trips

• Private/personal transportation issues

• Truancy, or illegal employment

• An absence that is not excused according to the above conditions is unexcused

Late Arrival

Students who arrive after 7:45 am must report directly to the main office to sign in, including those with an approved abbreviated schedule. 

Transportation: Students arriving late on a school bus should report to the main office for documentation and will not be marked tardy. Students who arrive last via Ride-On, Metro, or personal/private transportation will be marked tardy. 

Definitions:

• Tardy: A student is considered tardy if they are not in the classroom when the bell rings at 7:45 am. After the first tardy, and for each subsequent tardy, teachers may, at their discretion, assign detention. 

• Absent: A student is considered absent from class if they arrive more than 20 minutes after the class start time.

Early Departure

To help ensure student safety and minimize disruptions to instruction, please follow the procedures outlined below for early dismissals:

1. Student Note Submission: Students should bring a signed note from a parent/caregiver to the main office before the first period or during lunch. An early dismissal pass will be issued, allowing the student to leave class at the designated time. All students must sign out in the main office before leaving school.

Last-Minute Early Dismissal

We understand that unexpected situations arise. If your student needs to leave early, the following is required:

• You must come in person to the main office with a valid photo ID and be prepared to complete the Attendance Google Form or write a note in person

• Please allow up to 15 minutes for your student to be called out of class

Early Departure due to illness

If a student becomes ill during the school day:

• They should ask their teacher for a pass to report to the Health Room

• The Health Room will contact the parent/ guardian if early dismissal is necessary

Any student who leaves school without permission and without signing out will be marked as having missed class(es) without permission. Phone calls requesting early dismissal for a student will not be accepted, nor will calling ahead to have your student sent down upon your arrival. 

Anticipate Absence

Students are required to submit the Anticipated Absence/College Visit Form three days in advance for any reason that is not listed under excused absences. The student must obtain signatures from their teachers and counselor, then bring the form to the attendance secretary in the main office, where their administrator will determine if the absence is excused/unexcused before signing the form. Once signed by the administrator, the form will be given to the attendance secretary for logging the absence. NOTE: Family trips are not excused absences according to MCPS attendance guidelines. 

Appeal of Attendance Recording

College Visit

Students are required to submit the Anticipated Absence/College Visit Form three days in advance of any college visits. If the college visit form is not approved prior to the college visit then additional documentation is required. Acceptable documentation includes an official letter from the college confirming that the student attended a campus visit. Please allow 24-48 hours for the absence to be updated after we receive the documentation.