B-CC Attendance Office 

240-740-0409

Attendance Secretary

Mr. Erwin Avila

erwin_avila@mcpsmd.org

Policies and Procedures

Download Attendance Note here

Excused Absences:

The state of Maryland regards the following as excused absences from
school

• Illness/ Medical Appointments
• Death in the immediate family
• Court summons with documentation
• Hazardous weather conditions
• State emergency (as declared by the Governor)
• Suspension
• Observance of religious holiday (please state name of holiday in your
note)
• Work or activity accepted by school administration
• College visits (3 visits for 11th graders and 5 visits for 12th graders)

Unexcused Absences:

The following are not accepted as excused absences per the state of
Maryland

• Caring for younger siblings or relative
• Traffic / car trouble / transportation issues
• Family Emergency / Family Event (this must be clarified in a note and
fit into the excused absences identified by the state of Maryland)
• Extracurricular activities/ Non-MCPS Athletics
• Vacation / trips out of town
• Personal Issues (this must be clarified in a note and fit into the excused
absences identified by the state of Maryland)
• Overslept
Absentee Notes:
All parental, medical, or “age of majority” notes must include the
following information:

• Student’s first and last name
• Student’s ID number
• Grade level
• Date of full-day absence, tardy, or early dismissal
• Reason for absence, tardy or early dismissal

Phone calls will not excuse an absence, all correspondence must be in
writing with the information listed above.
What to do if you are sick:

• Send an email (must be from an email account we have for
parent/guardian) or a note to the attendance office within 3
days of returning to school after being out (A doctor’s note is
needed if out sick 5 days or more).
• All emails and notes must contain:
• students full name
• student ID#
• grade level
• reason and dates for absence
• parents phone number

What to do if you know you are going to be out of school:
• Get a “Pre-Approved Unexcused Absence Form” from the
Attendance Office
• Attach parent/guardian note to the form.
• Have all teachers sign off on it.
• Have your Administrator sign off on it.
• Return to Attendance office at least 3 days prior to time off.

What to do if you are going on a College Visit:

• College visits are only excused for 11th (3 visits) and 12th (5 visits)
grades.
• A note/email from parents must be turned in or received by the
Attendance Office prior to the visit.

What to do if you are arriving late to school:

• Sign in at the attendance office.
• Bring a note from parent or have parent/guardian email the
attendance office, all correspondences need the following
information:

• students full name
• student ID#
• grade level
• reason and dates for absence
• parents phone number

What to do if you need to leave early from school:

• Bring a note from your parents or guardian in the morning to the
attendance office and you will be given a pass to get out of class
early. All correspondences need the following information:
• students full name
• student ID#
• grade level
• reason and dates for absence
• parents phone number
• You can also have a parent or guardian send an email. Emails
must be received 2 hours prior to departure time so a pass can
be ready for the student.
• If a note or email was not sent, parents/guardians must come in
with ID to sign the student out. Students will not be dismissed
from class without a pass from the Attendance Office.
• Phone calls will not excuse absences. All correspondence must be
in writing.
• If returning, please sign back in at the Attendance Office.
What to do if you become ill and need to leave early:

• Go see the nurse.
• The nurse will call your parent/guardian.
• The nurse will give you a Pass that you can use to sign out at the
Attendance Office.
• Parents can pick you up from the front office or you can leave
after you sign out.