Attendance: 619-605-2250 x3022
All absences must be verified by a parent or guardian through note, telephone call/email or in person. If a parent/guardian has not contacted the school within five days of the absence, the school will consider the student’s absence to be unverified and therefore possibly truant.
Doctor Appointments, Early Dismissal:
Parents must request a student’s early dismissal from the Attendance Office. A parent may call/send email or send a note in advance to request a blue slip, which will have the student ready to leave campus when the parent arrives. If parents do not call ahead it may take up to 20 minutes to get the student to the office, and possibly longer if they are in PE.
Planned Absence in Excess of 5 Days and up to 14
If your child will be absent from school at least 5 and no more than 14 days, please contact the school office at least 2 weeks in advance to make arrangements for a short-term Contract for Independent Study (CIS) for the absence period.
- May not have more than 10% absences in attendance and Academic Grades of 2.0 or above
- All work must be dated within the contract and turned in nor later than 5 days after the student returns
- If contract is not completed within the timeline, NO CREDIT will be given
- Must have at least 5 teachers give full credit
NOTE: A District issued computer must be used to access District Applications.
Without the contract, the absence would be unexcused. Independent study contracts are not available for students receiving special education support.
Definition of Attendance Codes
I EXCUSED – “Illness” – absence due to personal illness or medical/dental appointments which are confirmed by a note, phone call, or email from the parent, guardian.
E EXCUSED – “Personal” – A “personal” excuse is given in cases of absence due to required court appearances, employment conferences, funerals, and other types of family necessity or emergency for which the pupil’s absence is requested by the parents.
U UNEXCUSED – Absence for reasons other than illness or personal/family necessity or emergency, even though excused by the parents. Examples are car trouble, traffic, oversleeping, Disneyland, etc.
Z TRUANCY – Absence for reasons which are neither acceptable to the school nor approved by the parents; or where evidence shows parents have misrepresented facts regarding the absence with intent to have it excused or have refused to cooperate in keeping the student in school as required by law.
S SUSPENDED – Absence from school resulting from serious or persistent behavior that poses a safety threat or ongoing disruption.
Tardies
Students must be in class and ready to learn when the bell rings.
Consequences for tardies in a single period:
- Teacher confers with student
- Verbal Warning
- Lunch Detention (5 or more tardies/period)
Consequences for overall total of school tardies per semester
- Refer to Counselor for intervention and possible parent conference
- Core Academy and loss of privileges
- Referral to District’s Student Attendance Review Board
Note: It is the responsibility of the parents and the student to monitor the number of tardies online. There will be no tardy notice prior to the CORE Academy permission slip.
Truancies
A truancy is defined as being out of school without your parent’s permission or out of class without the school’s permission (any adult staff may give direction to a student).
Consequences:
- Lunch or after school detention, Core Academy, and/or loss of privilege.
CORE Academy
Supporting Student Achievement Success (CASSAS) - formerly Saturday School
CORE Academy provides students the opportunity to recover missed instructional minutes and days while receiving academic instruction and support. Core Academy classes are taught by certificated instructors and allow students, and schools, to recover lost attendance. Core Academy provides instruction for a minimum of four (4) hours. A nutritious meal will be offered by SDUSD's Food Services Department to all participating students during the instructional day.
Core Academy will meet from 8:00am to 12:00pm. A list of Saturdays will be published at the beginning of the year. Students assigned to Core Academy will be supervised at all times by certificated staff members. Core Academy may be assigned by an administrator, counselor or attendance clerk.
Rules and Regulations
- Assignment to Core Academy will be made by an administrator, counselor or attendance clerk only. This assignment may be made for one or more Saturdays.
- Students who are non-cooperative with the CORE Academy plan will be sent home immediately and will not receive credit for attendance.
- Students assigned to CORE Academy must present, to the supervising teacher, a release signed by a parent if one has not been previously turned in to the CORE Academy coordinator. Otherwise, attendance will be denied.