• Student first and last name - absence in the subject line  
• Sent from the e-mail address on your family file 
• Date and reason for absence
• Parent name and phone number

Upon receipt of the note, the attendance record in Synergy will be updated per HCPSS policy. Please review HCPSS Policy 9010 – Attendance for guidelines on what is considered to be a Lawful (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 grace 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 Arrivals

All students must check in with the front office secretaries. Parent/Guardians do not need to be present in order to sign their student(s) in late unless they are to be excused due to appointment, illness, or other.

If it is an excused tardy parents should email a note to dmsabsence@hcpss.org.

• Student first and last name and late arrival in the subject line 
• Sent from the e-mail address on your family file
• Indicate the reason for the late arrival.
• Parent name and phone number

Early Dismissal Procedures 

Due to buses arriving on campus as well as the limited time before regular dismissal, we strongly encourage parents and guardians to not request an early dismissal after 2:15pm. Regular dismissal time is 2:35pm. If you are picking your student up instead of riding the bus, please wait at the stop sign until you are permitted to pull onto campus after the buses have departed.

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)