Need to reach the WCMS Attendance Office? Please email wcmsattendance@colliervilleschools.org.
 
You can also call the school at 901-854-2345 (Extension 1).

The ultimate purpose of an education is to help each student to become an effective citizen in a democracy. Accepting responsibilities and obligations as good citizens helps one to participate in the world of tomorrow. Time away from school represents a loss of valuable instructional time for the student. Excessive absenteeism and/or tardiness can also result in the development of poor work habits and may affect the student’s overall performance. According to research, the beginning of the school day sets the tone for the instruction that will follow.  Children who are tardy miss valuable instructional time and may establish poor work habits.

ATTENDANCE

1. All students are required to be in attendance and prompt in reporting to school every day that school is in session.  This includes the days before/after a holiday and half-days.
2. When absent you must present a note from the doctor/dentist office or home explaining the absence. Parent/guardians can send a limited number of parent notes directly to the school office or email to the attendance office at the following email address: (wcmsattendance@colliervilleschools.org) Emailing the teachers for assignments and updates does not notify the attendance office for reason of absence. Documentation for each absence and check-in/check-out must be provided within 2 days of return.
3. A student will be allowed one day for every day missed to turn in the makeup assignments. It is the student’s responsibility to contact his/her teachers upon returning to school to secure and complete any missed assignments.  It is suggested that you check each teacher’s website and Schoology for their agendas that week. In the case of an absence lasting three consecutive days, parents may come to the school and pick up books/binders after 3:15 p.m
4. If a student is tardy to school:

    

• Before 8:10 the student should report to homeroom (DO NOT report to the office) and will receive a tardy from the homeroom teacher that is registered in PowerSchool
• After 8:10 a parent/guardian MUST sign the student in at the attendance office to receive an admit slip – this will change their attendance from ABSENT to TARDY. 

Tardiness will count against perfect attendance.  Students not in homeroom by 8:00 will be counted as tardy. Students with five or more tardies during the school year (tardies do not reset each semester) will be subject to the following disciplinary actions:

• After five (5) tardies, a warning letter/email will be forwarded to the parents.
• Further tardies will result in a detention assignment.
• Additional tardies will result in assignment to Saturday School or In-school suspension.
• Persistent tardiness will result in referral to both the Department of Student Services and the Juvenile Court of Shelby County.

5. CHECK-OUTS: Every effort should be made to schedule dental/medical appointments after school hours. No student check-outs are allowed after 2:30 pm. Students will not be pulled from class based on phone calls. Students must bring a note to the main office before morning homeroom to receive a check-out slip. The parent must come into the office when they arrive on campus. Classes will be not be interrupted for check-outs. All check-outs will count against perfect attendance and are considered unexcused until documentation is brought from the doctor/dentist office, or check-out is done through the Health Room.

6. Absences are considered “excused” for the following reasons only: illness of the student, death or serious illness within the student’s immediate family, attendance at a school sponsored activity, special recognized religious holidays observed by persons of the student’s faith, legal court summons not resulting from the student’s misconduct, and extenuating circumstances created by emergencies over which the student has no control.
7. To participate in ANY extra-curricular activities students must attend school on that day for at least half the day (3.5 hours). This includes (but is not limited to): practices, competitions, club meetings, game attendance/participation, or dances.

Excessive absences (excused or unexcused) can result in Mandatory Attendance Plans, required Administrator Conferences and referral to Truancy Court.