Attendance

The day a student returns to school, an excuse note should be taken to the attendance office. The note should include the student’s name, absence date, reason, parent signature, and phone number. Notes must be received within 5 days of the absence. After 5 days, professional documentation is needed. A doctor’s note is required after ten (10) parent notes or when a student is absent 3 or more consecutive days. Doctors offices and parents can fax documentation to(770) 554-1074 or email Grayson.High.Attendance@gcpsk12.org. 

Georgia State Board of Education Rule 160-5-1-10 defines the following absences as excused: 

• Personal illness 
• A serious illness or death in a student’s immediate family 
• A court order or an order by a government agency 
• Observing religious holidays 
• Visitation with a parent prior to or during leave from deployment to a combat zone or combat support posting as a member of the armed forces of the U.S. or the National Guard 

A student is AWOL when absent without official leave from school or class.  A student may not leave school grounds after his/her arrival on campus without the permission of a duly authorized school official.  Students who leave campus without checking out or who are absent without their parent's knowledge will be considered AWOL from school. Students who do not have permission to be out of class are considered AWOL from class. Students absent from class for 10 or more minutes are AWOL. AWOL consequences are as follows:  

• 1^st AWOL - Administrative Conference and Warning
• 2nd and 3rd AWOLs - ISS and/or Detention
• 4+ AWOLs - ISS/OSS, Loss of Extracurricular Privileges, and Loss of Parking Privileges

Students are considered tardy if they arrive to school or class after the designated late bell has sounded. All students late to school are to report directly to the breezeway in between Grayson High School and Grayson Tech. Students tardy to class should report to designated tardy pass areas. Attendance personnel will classify all tardies excused or unexcused and issue a pass to class.

Unexcused tardies to school and class are combined for disciplinary purposes and consequences are as follows:

• 1st - 7th tardy: Warning
• 8th - 9th tardy: Admin Conference, ISS, and/or Detention
• 10th - 19th: ISS, Loss of Extracurricular Privileges, and/or Loss of Parking Privileges (see below for more information)
• 20th or more: OSS, Loss of Extracurricular Privileges, and/or Loss of Parking Privileges (see below for more information)

Student Drivers - Tardies and Loss of Parking Privileges

• 10th - two-week suspension
• 12th - four-week suspension
• 15th - revoked for the year

Student Drivers - AWOLS and Loss of Parking Privileges

• 1st - warning
• 2nd - two-week suspension
• 4th - four-week suspension
• 5th - revoked for the year

Parents receive communication via Parent Square whenever their student is absent or tardy. The notification reads: "Your child was tardy or absent for one or more period today."

Please report to the attendance office with a picture ID.  You MUST be on the emergency contact list to check-out a student. Check-outs will not be done over the phone. 

In order to expedite check-outs for students that drive, parents should prearrange check-out requests. 

• Parents, please email check-out requests to Grayson.High.Attendance@gcpsk12.org no later than 7:45 a.m. the day of the check-out. Include the student’s name, time of check-out, reason for check-out, and a copy of your driver's license.   
• A prearranged check-out slip will be given to the student. All students must check-out through the attendance office before leaving campus. 

If a junior or senior must visit a college during a school day, please provide proof of the college visit upon their return. Ask for a note on the college letterhead, a brochure, or forward the college tour confirmation email to Grayson.High.Attendance@gcpsk12.org. Excused college visits are limited to three (3) per school year.

A student must be present for half the school day (7:15 - 10:30 a.m. or 10:30 a.m. - 2:10 p.m.) to participate in an extracurricular event after school or that evening. This includes practices, productions, athletic events, etc. In order to participate in an event that is held on the weekend, a student must be present for half the day on Friday prior to the weekend. 

Students in extracurricular activities will be reported to their coach, mentor, and sponsor for poor attendance behaviors. The student could be prohibited from participating in the event or activity.

For students wishing to receive their driver's license, the Certificate of Enrollment and replacement ADAP certificates can be obtained in the following ways: 

Certificate of Enrollment 

There is a $5.00 fee for the Certificate of Enrollment needed for DDS. 

1. Visit MyPaymentsPlus 
2. Select the Activities and Events tab. 
3. Select School Fees, Certificate of Enrollment. 

Once you have made the purchase, take a screenshot of your receipt.  You or your student can bring the screenshot of the receipt to the attendance office before school, during lunch, or after school. 

ADAP Certificate 

Students receive an ADAP Certificate upon completion of the Alcohol and Drug Awareness Program in Health class. If a second copy is needed, this certificate can be purchased on My Payments Plus for $5.00 and picked up in the Attendance Office. Please allow two days for processing this request.