2024-2025 Attendance Information and Resources
Research is clear that showing up for school has a huge impact on a student’s academic and social success, starting from pre-kindergarten and continuing through high school.
- Missing 10% (or about 18 days of a school year or 2 a month) can drastically affect a student’s academic success at each grade level.
- By the 6th grade, absenteeism is one of three signs that can indicate if a student is at risk for dropping out of high school.
- In the 9th grade, regular and high attendance is a better predictor of graduation rates than 8th grade test scores.
Please help us support a culture of showing up to school every day!
Please review Policy 9010: https://policy.hcpss.org/9000/9010/
FQMS Absences, Early Dismissals and Late Arrivals:
If your student is absent or will be absent, please contact us at the following email address to explain the reason: fqmsabsence@hcpss.org. In the email, please include the following information:
- Student's First and Last Name
- Grade
- Reason for absence (e.g., illness, bereavement, observance of a religious holiday, lack of transportation) Absences - Absence notes must be received in writing (email or note) from a parent/guardian within 5 days of an absence. Please send all attendance correspondence to: fqmsabsence@hcpss.org.
- Late Arrivals - Students must be in first period by 7:50 am. Please make sure your child is accompanied into the building by either an adult or a note explaining the reason for the late arrival.
The process for documenting students’ attendance and recording late arrivals will be changing in February 2025. Currently, late arrival students sign-in with the front office. Any notes to excuse the tardiness or absence (e.g., note from doctor, etc.) are typically handed in to the attendance secretary at that time, although parents also have the option of sending an email to FQMSabsence@hcpss.org. Please note, per Policy 9010-IP: The school must receive notification from the parent or physician explaining the absence/tardiness of a student within five (5) school days of the student’s return or the absence/tardiness will be unlawful/unexcused.
Student barcodes (based on student ID number, unique to each student) have been generated for all students and are stored in the front office. Beginning in February, all Late Arrival/Tardy students will report to the front office and will begin signing into school by scanning their student barcode. This timestamp will be captured directly into Synergy.
Parents will no longer need to come into the school office to sign-in their student. Parents can view the time of arrival via HCPSS Connect by navigating to the Attendance tab>clicking on the day of concern in the calendar display>and reviewing the timestamp under Attendance Detail. Late Arrivals/Tardies are recorded as unlawful/unexcused until the school receives notification from the parent. Please send all absence notifications to FQMSabsence@hcpss.org and include your student’s full name, grade and date of absence/tardiness. Students may still provide a parent’s note or doctor’s note to the attendance secretary upon arrival.
- Early Dismissals - If you need to take your child out of school early, please email fqmsabsence@hcpss.org, or send your child in with a note for the front office. You MUST present your driver’s license when you arrive. Work identification is not valid.
Discretionary Days
HCPSS students are granted 3 days a year to use at their discretion for scheduled interviews with prospective employers, visits to post-secondary institutions, family trips, civic engagement, and other special events.
- Such absences may not occur during exam or state-mandated testing periods unless authorized by the principal/designee.
- A written request for such absences to be lawful/excused should be submitted at least one week in advance to the principal/designee. Please download the PDF fillable Discretionary Absence Form and email it to fqmsabsence@hcpss.org. The form is also available in Chinese, Korean, and Spanish.
- If you are requesting a day for a religious holiday not identified by the Howard County Public School System school calendar, please download the PDF fillable Religious Obligation Form and email it to fqmsabsence@hcpss.org.
With the collaborative effort of HCPSS parents, staff and students, we are confident that all students can have successful attendance. This will improve student success in school and in future life!
HCPSS Bus Transportation Reminders - Students must ride their assigned buses and exit buses at designated bus stops. Our bus drivers take the safety of students very seriously and want to fulfill this important responsibility. Please contact the Folly Quarter front office if there is an extenuating circumstance regarding your child getting off at a different stop.
Map of Arrival/Dismissal procedures for car riders