Attendance

The Compulsory Attendance Requirement Laws of the District of Columbia Public Schools are enforced in accordance with the provision of the Code of Laws provided by the D.C. Board of Education. Each student enrolled in the D.C. Public Schools is to attend school regularly and on time. Also, the Mayor and the Council of the District of Columbia approved the Police Truancy Enforcement Amendment Act of 1994, granting the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) direct statutory authority to detain juveniles out of compliance between 8:45 a.m. and 3:15 p.m.

Daily attendance is vital for success and promotion. As the parent, help your children achieve success by:

1. Sending children to school every day unless they are ill or there is a serious family emergency.
2. If your child will be absent, email the front office by clicking here stating that your child will be absent, along with the reason for the absence. Letting the front office know your child will be absent is a priority; you may also cc your child’s teacher so they are aware.
3. Getting children up on time to eat breakfast (home or school) and helping them take care of personal hygiene, dress appropriately and gather school materials.

Unexcused Absences

When students are absent without explanation, parents can expect a telephone call that is automatically generated by our STARS System and/or a call from the school. A student who is
absent without cause is considered truant. Parents are legally responsible for their children’s attendance and , therefore, may have an attendance investigation if any problems arise.

Tardy Procedures

Morning meeting begins at 8:45 a.m. Those students reporting to school late will report to the main office. A late slip will be issued that the student will present to the teacher. Habitual tardiness will affect the student’s academic progress. You can expect a call from the office when your child is consistently tardy.

Students who are chronically tardy 4 times in one calendar month will receive a letter from the school requesting a meeting with the guidance counselor to identify ways to prevent future tardies.

Arrival Procedures

• Drop Off: When dropping off students, please escort students through the side gate located next to the portable classroom. We want to ensure that students and parents do not walk through the parking lot. The parking lot will not be used for drop off, due to the limited space. If dropping students off in a vehicle, please consider the drop off on Ellicott Street instead of Davenport Street in order to limit the traffic congestion that can occur in front of the parking lot entrance.
• Students should arrive by 8:35 a.m. and line-up in their respective grade-level lines. Students in grades K-5 line up on the blue-top. We are aware that the kindergarten transition can be difficult for some students, therefore, kindergarten students can be escorted to the classrooms by their parents during the 1st week of school. Students in Pre-K should be escorted by their parent/guardian to their classrooms. Parents, please say good-bye at the doors and allow your child to enter with his/her teacher and classmates. If you need to see the school nurse or cafeteria staff, please feel free to do so. Any parents moving beyond these points, must sign-in at the security desk. If you need to communicate with your child’s teacher, please send an e-mail or call for an appointment.
• If your Pre-K student arrives late, please report to the main office and obtain a tardy slip for your child to enter class.
• Students participating in the breakfast program may report to the breakfast line at 8:15 a.m. Students will eat breakfast at the tables in the hallway. Once students complete their meals, they can join their classes on the blue-top (grades 1-5) or in their classrooms (Pre-K & Kindergarten).

Dismissal Procedures

• Pick-Up: When picking-up students in the afternoon, please walk through the side gate located next to the portable classroom. We want to ensure that students and parents do not walk through the parking lot. The parking lot should not be used for pick-up, due to the limited space. If picking students up in a vehicle, please pick-up on Ellicott Street to limit the traffic congestion on Davenport Street.
• Students are dismissed at 3:15 p.m. Grades K through 5 are escorted by their teachers to their line spaces on the blue top. Pre-K is dismissed from the Pre-K playground. Students must be picked up by an adult or older sibling. Students that are not picked up by an older sibling or adult will be escorted to the office by their teacher or substitute to make a phone call to their parents.
• Students that attend X-Day will meet in the gym and they will be escorted to St. Paul’s by an X-Day employee.
• New for 2015-16: Students attending after-school activities will be dismissed to the following locations for the 15 minutes after school lets out:
  • To Classrooms where Activity Is Meeting/At Class Start Time (Pre-K)
  • Media Center (K-2)
  • Gym (3-5)
  • Supervision will be provided from 3:15-3:30. No later than 3:30, students will be picked up by their after-school activity leader and taken to their respective classrooms for their activity.
• If students and/or parents need to re-enter the classrooms, please check with the Security Guard and notify the office of your need for assistance.

Inclement Weather/Indoor Arrival & Dismissal Procedures

When raining, snowing or bitterly cold

• Indoor Arrival (when raining, snowing or bitterly cold):
  • If we are following the indoor arrival plan, a flag will be out by the corner of the music Ben (Ben 13), which is the Ben closest to the Murch main office. Please look for the flag to know whether we are following the indoor arrival plan.
  • If it is an indoor arrival morning, students in grades Pre-K through 3rd grade may enter the building and report to their classrooms. Doors to classrooms for Pre-K through 3rd graders open at 8:30.
  • Students in grades 4 & 5 may enter the building and report to the gym at 8:30. Homeroom teachers will pick students up at 8:35.
  • Please do not report to your assigned location until 8:30 or later, as adult supervision will not be provided until then.
• Indoor Dismissal (when raining, snowing or bitterly cold):
  • If we are following the indoor dismissal plan, a flag will be out by the corner of the music Ben (Ben 13), which is the Ben closest to the Murch main office. Please look for the flag to know whether we are following the indoor dismissal plan.
  • Afternoon dismissal will be outside, regardless of the temperature, unless there is steady/heavy rain or heavy snow.
  • If it is raining or snowing heavily, all students will be dismissed from their classrooms at 3:15 pm.
  • Please note: If it is snowing, students should come to school with snow attire (boots, hats, gloves, etc.).

Early Dismissal Procedures

• Parents must sign-out children leaving early. Parents/guardians must go to the office and sign the Early Checkout Notebook. They can pick their children up from the office, as students will be called from their classes by the front office staff. Parents cannot pick children up from their classroom.
• If a party other than the designated parents or guardians is to pick up their child or children, the school must be notified and proper identification must be rendered at pick-up time.