Important Reminders for Using the Online Form

Student Absence or Late Arrival

• Student Absence or Late Arrival
• Complete our online attendance form or call 703.846.8888 by 7:30 am to notify the Front Office if your student will be absent or arriving late to school. This form is designed for unplanned absences, late arrivals, and short-term prearranged absences only.

Provide Specific Information

• Be specific about the reason why your child will not be attending school today
• Please indicate whether your child has any of the following symptoms:
  • Feeling feverish or chills
  • Fever greater than or equal to 100.4 F
  • Headache (not due to another health condition, hunger, menstrual cramps stress, or injury)
  • A new cough (not due to another health condition)
  • Shortness of breath or breathing difficulties (not due to diagnosed respiratory condition or if different than normal pattern of chronic condition)
  • A new sore throat (not due to another health condition)
  • Congestion or runny nose (not related to allergies or health condition)
  • Fatigue (more tired than normal or sudden onset)
  • New muscle pain (not due to another health condition or that may have been caused by a specific activity such as physical exercise))
  • New loss of taste, smell, or appetite
  • Abdominal pain (not due to hunger, constipation, injury, or stress)
  • Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea

Prearranged Absences

• For prearranged or preplanned absences of three days or more, please contact the Attendance Office at 703.846.8888 for further instructions, or complete the FCPS Request for Prearranged Absence Form at least two weeks prior to the absence. This form is required to be completed by the parent. The student is responsible for obtaining teacher recommendations and signatures. This form can then be submitted to the main office for approval.

Early Dismissal

• Complete this form by 7:30 am to notify the Front Office that your student will be leaving early. Your student will meet you in the Front Office at the designated time.

Bus Transportation Change

• Complete this form by 9:00 am if your student will be riding a different bus (not their assigned bus route) with a friend.

Attendance Policies & Procedures

It is important that your child attends school every day FCPS is in session unless he or she is sick or need to be excused for a specific reason. Students who miss ten percent or more of the school year (eighteen days per school year, or nine per semester) are less likely to succeed academically than students who attend school regularly. Contact us if he or she will be out for a day or longer. School or central office personnel will reach out to you when your child’s attendance becomes a concern. It is everyone’s job to ensure that all FCPS students are present, engaged, and accounted for daily. Get more information about attendance policies.

If it is necessary for your child to be absent from school, please call (703) 846-8888 before 9:00 am each day of the absence or use the online attendance form on the Kilmer website. If parent contact is not made, a note should be sent to the school with the student upon return. When parent contact is made, absences will be recorded as excused. If a student has excessive absences and has missed more than ten percent of the school year, a doctor’s note will be required for future absences. If parent contact is not made within 48 hours, the absences will be recorded as unexcused. When a student reaches 5 unexcused absences, state law requires that we notify you in order to discuss a plan to ensure that your child attends school every day. If additional unexcused absences occur, a parent meeting will be scheduled at the school.  Continued failure to attend after the meeting may result in a referral to the school attendance officer and possible court intervention.

Excused Absences

Reasons for excused absences include: illness of student, death in the family, doctor or dentist appointment, religious holiday, suspension, approved prearranged absence, or other reasons approved by the principal or designee.

Students are required to make up missed assignments.

Once a student accumulates a total of more than 10 absences (excluding suspensions), the parent/guardian may be required to provide a doctor's note in order for additional absences due to illness to be excused.

Prearranged Absences

For approval of any excused absence for any reason other than those listed above, parents must send a note to the office at least two days in advance, stating the reason and time span of the proposed absence. Upon approval, students will be given a prearranged absence form, which they give to each teacher requesting homework and class assignments. If a student is absent for more than 15 consecutive school days, the student will be withdrawn from FCPS and a parent will be required to re-enroll their student when he/she returns to school. It is the discretion of the principal whether or not a prearranged absence is excused or unexcused. We strongly recommend that students attend school every day.