Early Dismissal
If you need to pick up your student early for an excused absence, such as a doctor's appointment, please email Ms. Brown.
We will call your student to the Welcome Center when you arrive. Please allow 10–15 minutes for this process.
Attendance
Regular attendance is an important part of your child's success at Whittier. If your student needs to be absent, arrive late, or leave early, please follow the guidelines below.
Attendance Policy
Daily attendance is compulsory for students ages 5–17 in Washington, DC. We understand, however, that students sometimes need to be absent for health or family reasons.
A note must be submitted within 5 school days of the absence in order for it to be excused. Notes may be handwritten and submitted to the front office or to Ms. Brown, our Attendance Counselor. They may also be submitted online through the Aspen Parent Portal.
After 5 or more consecutive absences:
An official note from a medical provider must be submitted in order
for any additional absences to be excused.
DCPS 60/40 Absence Policy
DCPS' 60/40 Absence Policy applies to elementary schools. If a student is present for less than 60% of the school day, the student will be marked as partially absent.
This applies when a student:
- Arrives at school after 11:25 a.m.
- Leaves for an early dismissal before 12:35 p.m.
Partial absences can be excused for the same reasons as other absences.
Submit an Attendance Note Through Aspen
Electronic absence excuse notes can be submitted using the Attendance Excuse Notes form in the Aspen GO Parent Portal.
How to submit an excuse note
- Log into the Aspen GO Parent Portal .
- Select To Re-Enroll Students & Other Forms from the side tab.
- If you have more than one child in DCPS, confirm that you are submitting the form for the correct student.
- Click New in the Attendance Excuse Notes section.
- Select the absence excuse code and date. You can enter up to four dates on one form.
- Add any additional details or information in the text box.
- Click Submit or select Save & Close if you need to finish later.
Excused Absences
Any absence for an entire day without a valid excuse is marked as an unexcused absence. Excusable reasons include illness and medical or dental appointments.
For the complete list of excused absence reasons, please review:
Early Dismissal & Late Arrival
We understand that occasionally a doctor's appointment can be difficult to schedule outside of school hours. Please limit early dismissals and late arrivals to the greatest extent possible, especially during high-traffic times such as before long weekends.
Late Arrival
If your student will be late, please email Ms. Brown with the reason for the late arrival. Your child should enter through the main gate.
Please note: We cannot accommodate early dismissals after 2:40 p.m. The building is in transition during this time.
Questions About Attendance?
Questions or concerns regarding attendance notifications? Please reach out to Ms. Brown, Attendance Counselor.