Daily, on-time attendance is critical for classroom success and central to the collaborative spirit of AACMS. In accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, parents/guardians are legally responsible for ensuring their children (ages 6–18) attend school daily. To maintain a safe environment and fulfill our legal obligations, we ask for your cooperation with the attendance tracking procedures outlined below.
Click on the Handbook (right) to view our attendance and school rules.
For a detailed look at attendance, please read our Attendance Procedures.
Doors Open at 7:30am each day, and all students who are dropped off MUST be in their homerooms by the start of our school day at 7:45am.
Parents/guardians must notify the school of planned student absences at least 10 days prior to the absence.
On days when your child will be absent, please call the school before 8:30am at 610-351-0234 (option 1) or send a note to attendance@aacms.org to inform us. Include your child’s first and last name, their grade, and the reason for their absence.
Without this note, your child’s absence will remain “unexcused”. If your child was seen by a doctor, submit the doctor’s note within 3 days of their return. Parents/Guardians may receive an automated phone call informing them that their student is not in school. Within 3 days of your child’s return to school, a written note that includes your child’s name, date(s) of absence, and reason for that absence must be submitted to the office.
Applications for educational trips, vacations, and/or auditions must be submitted at least 10 days prior to the time requested off. Applications can be found at the Main Office or below and will be reviewed by the principal or designee and returned to you. Students are responsible for coordinating for any classwork or homework they miss during an absence.
Download/View The Pre-Approved Absence FormLate to School?
AACMS proudly welcomes students from more than 15 school districts. Because many of our families travel long distances, we understand that traffic or weather can cause occasional delays.
- Students must be at school by 7:45 AM. Anyone arriving after this time is considered tardy.
- Tardy students must report directly to the Main Office to sign in with a note to have the tardiness excused.
- If a student arrives late on a school district bus, they will receive a late bus pass. This is always excused, and the student is never penalized.
- Families are allowed 7 excused tardy notes per school year. Any tardies beyond these 7 will be marked as unexcused unless accompanied by a medical note.
Students must arrive to class on time. Teachers will mark classroom attendance at the start of the period. If a student arrives late to class without a pass, they will be marked as tardy or unexcused. AACMS administration maintains daily reports on student tardiness and class attendance. Consistent tardiness will result in detentions and further disciplinary actions.
If your child must leave school early, please send a note to the office stating their first and last name, grade level, the date, the dismissal time, and the reason, along with your phone number. Please come to the main office, with a photo ID, when you arrive. Students will be called out of class at that time. To avoid disrupting afternoon dismissal, students must be picked up NO LATER THAN 1:30 pm.
If your child visits a doctor, dentist, or other medical professional during school hours, they must submit an official medical note to the Main Office to be excused. Students absent from school are not permitted to attend any extracurricular activities or school functions on the day of their absence.
To promote regular attendance, AACMS utilizes a progressive intervention system for unexcused absences in compliance with PA law. Truancy is defined as 3 unexcused absences. After a student’s third unexcused absence a warning letter will be emailed home and Student Attendance Improvement Plan (SAIP) meeting will be scheduled. Habitual truancy is defined as 6 unexcused absences. After a student’s sixth unexcused absence you will receive an email and phone call to address the SAIP. If a student continues to have unexcused absences a referral to Child & Youth Services will be made by a school official.
A student is considered truant after three unexcused absences. At this time, the school may schedule a School Attendance Improvement Plan (SAIP) meeting with the family to identify root causes and collaborate on a plan to improve attendance. Continued unexcused absences may lead to CPS or Truancy reports being filed.
For full details on the school's complete truancy policy, please refer to our Attendance Procedure and Board Policy 2.4.2.
Excused Absences (Cumulative) include pre-approved family vacations and any absence allowed under the PA School Code, provided a written excuse is submitted within three school days of the student’s return.
Unexcused Absences (Cumulative) are any absence missing a written excuse after three days, or any absence due to illness without a doctor’s note after a student has reached 10 parent-verified absences.
Non-cumulative Absences do not count toward the student limit. These absences include doctor-verified illnesses (submitted within three days), a death in the family (from the date of death until two days post-funeral), required court appearances, religious holidays, and school-sponsored events.
Phone: 610-351-0234 (option 1) Email: attendance@aacms.org