Absence Procedures

1. On the day that a student is absent from school, parents need to call the attendance office at (650) 638-8306 before 9:00 am to report the absence. After two unexcused absences or cuts, each will earn detention and may result in progressive discipline, as well as the student and parent being referred to the Student Attendance Review Board process.

2. Students are expected to be seated and ready for class with all materials when the second bell rings. Each tardy after the second tardy will result in detention and loss of privileges; if the problem persists, the student and parent may be referred to the Student Attendance Review Board process.

3. Students leaving school must always be signed out in the office by a parent/legal guardian, or an adult listed on their emergency card. Students will only be released to parents/legal guardians or adults listed on the emergency card. Students with a note and permission to see a nearby doctor, dentist, orthodontist, or a counselor for a scheduled appointment need to sign out in the front office.

4. If your student is absent for an extended period of time, please coordinate all homework/classwork directly with teachers. Your student's counselor may also be able to assist with this if the need arises. Additionally, homework may also be accessed through teacher sites in SchoolLoop. Note: not all teachers utilize this function.

5. If your child is absent on the day of a dance, athletic contest, or other school function/activity, they will be excluded from attending. In the case of a partial absence, students must attend a minimum of four (4) full periods to be "in attendance."

Regular Attendance

Regular attendance is vital to student success in school. The student who is frequently absent misses social interaction and direct instruction from his/her teachers even though written work can be made up in accordance with CA Education Code. Any day or hour absent is a missed learning opportunity. Further impacts of student irregular attendance include:

• Students can fall behind quickly if they keep missing just a day or two every few weeks

• Tardiness in the early grades can predict poor attendance later

• Absences can affect whole classrooms if the teacher has to slow down learning to help students catch up

• Schools lose funding for each absence, regardless of the reason; including illness or excused absences

• Schools do NOT receive funding even if the absence is excused

  • This law went into effect in 1998. Any absence, whether excused or unexcused, is a loss of revenue as well as instructional opportunities; no reimbursement is received

Students are responsible for attending class regularly and on time. Students with excessive absences or tardies may be excluded from activities and privileges at school such as assemblies, sports, dances, the promotion ceremony, etc.

Note: the attendance count for detention and participating in dances will reset after each dance.