The importance of regular, daily attendance cannot be over-emphasized. State law requires it and research shows that student success is dependent upon good attendance. It is difficult for a child to make up a day they have missed. Classroom discussion and direct instruction provided by teachers are much more meaningful than printed material.
Absences
School funding is reliant on student attendance, so accurate record keeping and parent confirmation is essential, and mandatory by state law. If your child is ill, it is best for them to stay home to get the care needed and prevent the exposure of illness to others. If for any reason your child is absent from school, please call the attendance voice mail at 916-395-4685, option 1 by 9:00 a.m. on the day of the absence. Please state the child’s name, the date, and the reason for the absence. Please contact your child’s teacher directly for missing work.
Tardiness
To maximize learning time, all students must attend school regularly and on time. Students not inside the school gate when the 8:00 bell rings are to be considered tardy. Late students (after 8:30 am) must go to the office to get a tardy slip before going to class. Tardiness due to medical or dental appointments will be excused ONLY with an appointment slip or doctor’s note from the medical facility. Repeated tardiness will result in parent contact and a conference may be held. Students who have three (3) or more unexcused tardies of one-half (l/2) hour or more or three (3) or more unexcused absences will receive notification of truancy.
Check out of Students During School Hours
If you’re going to pick up your child before their regular dismissal time, you must come to the office and sign your child out. The office will then call your child out of instruction. Persons not listed on the child’s emergency card will not be allowed to take the child, unless it is approved by the parent in writing. We ask that you refrain from making telephone requests to release your child from school, since it is not possible to establish identity over the phone and we prefer not to pull the child out of class until you have arrived. Early dismissals are recorded and may affect student’s attendance record. Students miss out on valuable instruction when they are dismissed early.
Definition of a Truant: The California Legislature defined a truant in very precise language. In summary, it states that a student missing more than 30 minutes of instruction without an excuse three times during the school year must be classified as a truant and reported to the proper school authority. This classification and referral helps emphasize the importance of school attendance and is intended to help minimize interference with instruction. The California Education Code (EC) Section that defines a truant reads as follows:EC Section 48260 (a): Any pupil subject to compulsory full-time education or compulsory continuation education who is absent from school without a valid excuse three full days or tardy or absent more than any 30-minute period during the school day without a valid excuse on three occasions in one school year, or any combination thereof, is a truant and shall be reported to the attendance supervisor or the superintendent of the school district.