Pupil Personel Office

Early Dismissal

Early checkout from school is discouraged. Students and parents should arrange medical and other appointments after school hours. When that is not possible, the parent should send a note to school with the student. The note should include:

• The student's first and last name
• Students ID & Grade
• Time the student needs to leave school
• The reason for the early dismissal request
• Whether the student is driving or being picked up and by whom
• Parent's signature
• Telephone number where parent can be reached during the school day to verify the checkout request  (If a student is driving or walking, a parent must be contacted.)  If the parent or guardian cannot be reached, the student may NOT leave. If the student leaves after we inform him/her that we cannot verify the early dismissal, it will be treated as a class cut and disciplinary action will be taken.

The student brings the note to PPO before 1st period.  They will be given a slip to show their teachers to leave class at the necessary time.  The student then comes to PPO to sign out.  Failure to sign out correctly may result in disciplinary action.

For the safety and security of our students, identification is always required by anyone picking up a student.

FORGOT TO SEND A NOTE?

If you didn't send a note to school with your student or you got an appointment after school started, please call us to arrange for an early dismissal at 770-578-7900 x251 and speak to a parent volunteer.  They will take all the necessary information and get a note to your student to meet you in PPO at the specified time.  Please do not leave a voicemail.

 

If you didn't send a note to school with your student or you got an appointment after school started, please call us to arrange for an early dismissal at 770-578-7900 x251 and speak to a parent volunteer.  They will take all the necessary information and get a note to your student to meet you in PPO at the specified time.  Please do not leave a voicemail.

Absences & Tardies - Policy, Note Deadlines and Reasons

POLICY:

 

The goals of the start on time policy are 1) to maintain an orderly learning environment 2) to allow the classroom teachers the maximum possible instructional time and 3) to help students develop the valuable lifelong habit of promptness and responsibility. 

 

Students are to be in Zero Period from 7:15 - 8:05 or 1st period at 8:20.

 

All students who are tardy as of 8:20 must sign in at PPO. 

 

The 7^th unexcused tardy will result in an X-Block (Wednesday afternoon) detention;  the 10th unexcused tardy will result in 2 more X-block detentions; the 13th unexcused tardy will result in a Saturday School and the 15th will result in a referral to the Social Worker.

NOTE DEADLINES:

You have 1 day to send in a note to change an unexcused tardy to excused.

You have 3 days upon returning to school to submit a note to PPO to excuse an absence. 

Any notes received after these deadlines will be filed in the student's file but not entered in Pinnacle.

Please send notes even if the reason is unexcused.  No note makes it look like the student was truant. An "unexcused with a note" means that the parent knew where the student was but it's not a Cobb County authorized reason. 

A total of 10 unexcused (without a note) absenses (absence = out more than 1/2 the day) will affect the student's ability to get or retain a driver's permit or license or certificate of attendance.  "Unexcused with a Note" does NOT affect the permit, license or certificate of attendance.

NOTE REASONS:

Cobb County has specific reasons for why a tardy can be excused - the same is true for absences.  Those reasons are: 

1. Illness
2. Doctor Visit*
3. College Visit*
4. Court*
5. Death/Hospitalization in the Family. 

*For the doctor visit, college visit and court - documentation is needed to verify. 

All other reasons on notes will be considered "unexcused with a note" which means the parent is aware but it doesn't fall under a Cobb County reason.  This includes but is not limited to:

1. Out of Town
2. Family Emergency
3. Car Trouble
4. Non-medical Appontment (drivers license, passport, etc.)
5. Power Outage. 

Anything marked "unexcused" or "unexcused with a note" will count toward detention (see policy above).

NOTE:  If there is Hazardous Weather the school will make an announcement to teachers to please hold off on marking students tardy for a specified amount of time. 

Download POPE Student Absence and Tardy form

POLICY:

 

The goals of the start on time policy are 1) to maintain an orderly learning environment 2) to allow the classroom teachers the maximum possible instructional time and 3) to help students develop the valuable lifelong habit of promptness and responsibility. 

 

Students are to be in Zero Period from 7:15 - 8:05 or 1st period at 8:20.

 

All students who are tardy as of 8:20 must sign in at PPO. 

 

The 7^th unexcused tardy will result in an X-Block (Wednesday afternoon) detention;  the 10th unexcused tardy will result in 2 more X-block detentions; the 13th unexcused tardy will result in a Saturday School and the 15th will result in a referral to the Social Worker.

Automatic Phone Calls for Attendance

Each Day an automated system calls the number we have on file as the home phone number for each student who is absent. 

If you get a phone call, please check Pinnacle to see which period(s) your child was marked absent. 

If they were absent all day, please send a note upon return to PPO. 

If they were absent for only one block, please have your student talk to the teacher (or you can email them) and if there was a mistake, the teacher will submit a form to PPO to have it corrected. 

Period 8 = AO (replaced homeroom T/TH).  Period 9 = Zero Period.

Student Forgot Item at Home

PPO is the drop off/pick up site for students who forget something at home. 

Parents can drop off an item in PPO and we will put the student's name on it.  The student can then pick up their items between classes, with permission from a teacher or during lunch.

Due to the volume of items dropped off and to limit disruptions to the classroom - we do not deliver.  The student needs to know to come to PPO to retrieve their item.  If they don't come the day it is dropped off it will be here waiting for them the next day. We are not responsible for any items left in PPO.

This is not the same thing as homework for a student out sick - that is dropped off and picked up in the Guidance Office (Room 102).

Driver's License & Certificate of Attendance

In order to apply for a Driver’s License or Permit you need a Certificate of Attendance:  Come to PPO during lunch Monday through Friday to apply for a Certificate of Attendance. It costs $2.00.  All requests will be ready for pick up the next day during lunch.  You must have 10 or less unexcused absences in the current academic year OR previous academic year in order to be eligible for a certificate of attendance. It is good for 30 days. 

 

SUMMER:  If you got one dated for the last day of school it is good through the end of August.  If you ordered one in May but forgot to pick it up, stop by PPO any day during lunch to pick it up.  Anything not picked up by the end of August will be shredded.

College Visits

Please pick up a college visit form (outside PPO or on the website) before going on a college visit.  Return the form with a note from your parents and documentation from the college.  (For example, a signed form from the admissions office, an email saying “looking forward to seeing you on  “xyz” date, etc.)

 

Download College Excused Absences

New Bus Note

The Transportation Department created a "standard bus note" for all Cobb County Schools that they prefer parents use from now on.  Please download the note and send this is instead of a personal note.  Have your student drop it off in PPO, we will call you to confirm it, stamp it and give it to the student to give to the bus driver.  With this new format, if it is a regularly occurring event (i.e. every Wednesday they go home with the same student) then you only have to do this once for the year.

Thanks!

Download Bus Pass