Attendance
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Research clearly indicates that good attendance has a direct, positive effect on student achievement, promotion, graduation, behavior, and employment potential. We believe that it is important for our students who will someday be entering the world of work to learn that punctuality and excellent attendance are keys to job retention and success. Students with perfect attendance are honored at the end of each trimester. State law requires that attendance be regular except for illness. We will be enforcing required attendance laws as follows:
- Parents are required to notify the school if their student is absent in order to justify the absence. Please contact the school office and leave a message on the attendance line (925-960-2923).
- Excused absences include the following reasons: personal illness, medical appointments, death of an immediate family member, jury duty or other court appearance, or observance of a religious holiday. All other reasons for absences are unjustified.
- Repeated absences due to illness may require a doctor’s note.
In the event that travel during the school year is unavoidable, contact the office about Independent Study at least 2 weeks prior. This program is designed for students who will be out of school for 5 to 10 days. It is up to the discretion of the teacher to provide schoolwork. Independent Study provides your child with continuity of his/her instructional program. Work is to be done while on the trip and it is due back the morning the student returns to school.
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Attendance Matters
Our goal is to ensure that every student attends school regularly. Showing up for school has a huge impact on a student’s academic success, starting in kindergarten and continuing through high school. Even as children grow older and more independent, families play a key role in making sure students get to school safely every day and that they understand why attendance is so important for success in school and in life.
We realize some absences are unavoidable due to illness. Absences for illness and medical appointments are considered excused as long as the school receives a note and/or phone call from the student’s parent/guardian clearing the absence within 72 hours of the occurrence. Failure to excuse the absence results in a recorded truancy on your student’s permanent record.
We strongly encourage that families plan vacations on scheduled school breaks. Please refer to our calendar for reference.
Supporting Attendance
The district shall abide by all State attendance laws and use any legal means to correct the problems of excessive absence or truancy. The responsibility for school attendance must be shared by the Board, students, parents/guardians, teachers, and school administrators. The Board recognizes its responsibility under the law to ensure that students attend school on a regular basis.
Our district invests in Child Welfare and Attendance staff who support families at schools and throughout the District. We encourage families to contact their children's school whenever they have questions about attendance or would like support.