Absence Forms

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.

1. Absence Report : Please submit any absences on ParentVUE or by calling the GVMS attendance line at 571-486-3009. If the absence day has already passed, please email the absence note to [email protected]. The note should include the student's full name, the date of the absence, the reason for the absence, parent name, and a good contact number. Parents have up to five school days to verify a school absence before the absence becomes unexcused.
ParentVUE Link

2. Pre-arranged Absence Request: A pre-arranged absence is a request for a planned absence, not an emergency. We strongly encourage our parents to schedule vacations during the many breaks throughout the school year or over summer break. The Pre-arranged Absence Request form 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, at [email protected] or brought into the front office, two weeks in advance of the planned absence. The request will then be approved (excused absence) or unapproved (unexcused absence) by the principal 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.
Print and Fill out Pre-Approved Absence Form

3. Emergency Leave Request: The sudden death of a loved one or a medical emergency is considered an emergency absence. Emergencies are not pre-arranged absences. Parents should contact the attendance secretary, Mrs. McNeil, at [email protected] and the student's school 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.

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. If the student is taken 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 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.

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. Parents must accompany the student into the building and sign the student in at the front office for the student to receive a tardy pass to class.

A parent/guardian/emergency contact must come into the front office to sign a student out for early dismissal. A student will not be released until the parent/guardian or other individual designated on the Emergency Card, 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.