Attendance Policy

 

• ABSENCES:  As per State requirements, all absences must be verified by telephone the same day or by sending a note the day the student returns to school.  The note should contain the student’s full name, date, the reason for the absence and the signature of the responsible adult (father, mother, guardian).  

 

• ALL ABSENCES: which do not comply with the 24 hour verification procedures written above are considered “unexcused” for attendance accounting purposes and for reporting to State, County and local agencies.

 

• 10% Letter: For students whose total absences have exceeded 10% of the school year to date, they must have doctor’s excuse to verify each absence from school.  For students with any combination of 3 unexcused absences and/or 3 tardies over 30 minutes, the State truancy procedure will begin:  the family will be referred to the School Attendance Review Board (SARB) and other enforcement agencies (local police departments as well as County Social Services).

 

• APPOINTMENTS:  If your child has an appointment during the school day, please notify the office in advance.  A parent must come into the office to sign out the student.  Students returning from an appointment or arriving late because of a morning appointment need to check in at the school office before going to class.  Parents need to provide the office with a doctor or dentist’s written excuse form.  (Please try to make appointments after school hours, on non-school days or as late as possible on a school day.  Instructional time which your child misses cannot be made up; each minute of instruction is important.)

 

• TARDIES:  After the 8:00 a.m./8:30 a.m. a.m. bell, students need to come to the office to obtain a tardy slip for entrance into class.  Students in grades 3, 4 and 5 will make up lost instruction time during the morning recess time for any reason they are late, with the exception of a doctor/dental appointment, accompanied by a note from the doctor/dental office.

 

• VACATIONS: Students are not allowed to take vacations when school is in session.  Parents need to plan vacations during the published school vacation times (November Thanksgiving Vacation, December Holiday Vacation, February Winter Break, April Spring Vacation, June through August Summer Vacation, unless the child must attend Summer School in July).

  24 Hour School Attendance Line: (408) 423-1705

 

For more information on attendance please refer back to the (Santa Clara Unified School Handbook) Pages 9-11.