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/
MHHS Attendance Procedures
Student Absences
When a student is absent, the parent/guardian must report the absence to the school by emailing MHHSabsence@hcpss.org or sending in a note with your child. The e-mail/note 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 email/note, the attendance record in Synergy will be updated to reflect the 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 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.
Late Arrival Procedures
Students who arrive late to school will enter through the main entrance. The student will proceed to the front office and see Ms. Summers, the attendance secretary, to check-in. Students will be provided with a slip to share with their teacher. Students who are unexcused tardy to school will receive consequences after the third time.
If it is an excused tardy parents should email a note to mhhsabsence@hcpss.org. 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 Dismissal Procedures
Please have your student bring a note or you as the parent send an email (mhhsabsence@hcpss.org) to the front office first thing in the morning of the dismissal. They will receive a pass to show their teacher and will be allowed to leave class and meet their parent/guardian in the parking lot (or drive themselves). Students may not leave the school building without documentation of the dismissal from a parent prior to the dismissal. All dismissals must be documented in our attendance system (Synergy) prior to the dismissal. A student who leaves school prior to providing documentation will be held accountable to the Student Code of Conduct for possible consequences.
The note should include:
- The student’s first and last name (not a nickname)
- Reason for early dismissal
- Time of early dismissal
- Parent signature and phone number
- And if the student will be returning.
In Person Student Pick Up:
- Please enter the school school building with identification/photo ID and check in to the front office.
- You must be an identified in Synergy as an individual that the student is able to be released to.
- Please pick your child up by 2:15pm. We will not be able to call your child out of class after 2:15pm due to dismissal and the bus loop being filled.
- Please ask your student to check in at the front office if they return. Parents are welcome to sign their student out at the front office if it is a last minute appointment.
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)