Gainesville 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. To reflect our commitment to these regulations and procedures, we ask that our GVMS families please use the following forms in absence situations.
Back to School Attendance Letter 24-25
A Guide to Student Illness - Spanish
Student Days Off Flyer - Spanish
Request for Pre-Arranged Absence Approval
Absence Reporting
- Please report absences on ParentVUE by 3:00 p.m. on the date of the absence and up to 30 days in advance.
- Alternatively, you can call the GVMS attendance line at 571-486-3009 or email the absence note to [email protected]. Remember to include the student's full name, the date of the absence, the reason for the absence, and supporting documents if applicable.
- Parents have up to five school days to verify a school absence before the attendance tracking system marks the student truant.
Late Arrivals
- Parents must accompany students into the office if arriving after 8:10 a.m. At this time the student is considered tardy and 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.
Early Dismissals
- A parent/guardian/emergency contact must come into the front office to sign a student out for early dismissal by 2:30 PM.
- A student will not be released until the parent/guardian or other individual designated in ParentVUE, has presented a photo ID.
- Students will not be called out of class in advance to wait for a parent/guardian/emergency contact to arrive.
Pre-Arranged
A pre-arranged absence is a request to excuse a planned absence. These absences are discouraged and are only excused according to PWCS Regulation 724-1, Attendance and Excuses. We strongly encourage our parents to schedule vacations during the many breaks throughout the school year or over summer break.
The Request for Pre-Arranged Absence Approval must be used for non-emergency trips and events requiring a student to be out of school. We ask that the form be completed and submitted to our attendance secretary, Ms. McNeil, via ParentVUE at pwcs.edu/about_us/the_hub/parent_vue_information, via email at [email protected], or brought into the front office at least two weeks before of the planned absence. The principal will review the form and grant approvals depending on the reason for the absence.
Medical
Every effort should be made to schedule appointments after school hours. However, if your student is absent due to a medical appointment, we ask that you bring in a note from the provider upon your student's return to school to our attendance secretary, Ms. McNeil, via ParentVUE, at [email protected], or brought into the front office. If the student is taken to the doctor when they are absent due to being sick, it is always a good idea to provide a doctor's note upon returning to school. If a student misses ten 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.