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Attendance Information

Palomares Elementary School

6395 Palo Verde Road

Castro Valley, CA  94546

510-582-4207

 

Important!!! Please Read: Absence and Tardy Policy

Attendance

 

REGULAR ATTENDANCE IS THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR IN DETERMINING YOUR CHILD’S SUCCESS IN SCHOOL!  Parents have the responsibility to ensure that their children attend class on the days school is in session.  Of course, children should not attend if they are ill. 

School attendance is compulsory under state law. Regular attendance is essential to a child’s learning.  Please call our office on the first day of a student’s absence. 

Absence Verification

When a student is absent from school for any reason, telephone the school on the first day of the absence. Please call 510-582-4207. Please state the student’s full name, the reason for the absence, the date(s) of the absence, your name and relationship to the child and the teacher’s name. A parent or guardian is required to notify the school within 48 hours.  Our attendance voicemail may be accessed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  If we have not been notified within the 48 hour period, the absence will be marked as unexcused.

Legally Excused Absences (Education Code 48205)

A student may be excused legally from school when the absence is for one of the following reasons:

1      Personal illness or injury.

2      Quarantine under the direction of a county or city health officer.

3      Medical, dental, optometry, or chiropractic services rendered.

4      Attendance at funeral services for a member of the immediate family.

5      Jury duty in the manner provided by law.

6      Pupil is custodial parent of a child who is ill or has a medical appointment during school.

7      Exclusion for failure to present evidence of immunization.

8      Exclusion from school because student is either the carrier of a contagious disease or not immunized for a contagious disease.

9      Pupils in grades 7 – 12 who leave school (with prior approval of the Principal or his/her designee) to obtain confidential medical services.  The pupil is to return a copy of the medical professional’s appointment verification form.

10   Upon written request of the parent or guardian and prior approval of the Principal or his/her designee and pursuant to board policy, a student’s absence may be excused.  Reasons include, but are not limited to:

*         Appearance in court.

*         Observation of a holiday or ceremony of his/her religion.

*         Attendance at a religious retreat not to exceed four (4) hours per semester.

*         Employment interview or conference.

*         Attendance at funeral services for someone not a member of the immediate family.

*         Family emergencies.

*         Appearance at SARB or SART.

 

Attendance Requirements

According to Education Code 48260, any pupil subject to compulsory full-time education or to compulsory continuation education who is absent from school without valid excuse three full days in one school year or tardy or absent for 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. Any student who is absent from school without a valid excuse for ten percent or more of the school days in one school year, from the date of enrollment to the current date, is deemed a chronic truant.

 

Truancy Interventions (unexcused absences)

 

  • 3 absences - 1st Truancy Letter - serves as a reminder to the parent/guardian to address the student’s attendance issues and to avoid possible future truancy.  (Student/parent conference may be required at middle and high school)  
  • Truancy issues may lead to ineligibility for extracurricular activities i.e. dances, sporting events, field trips, and proms.
    • 6 absences - 2nd Truancy Letter - Student Attendance Review Team (SART) Meeting with the Principal or Assistant Principal, Counselor, Parent, and Student (Attendance Contract)
    • 9 absences - 3rd Truancy Letter - Student Attendance Review Board (SARB) Meeting at the District Office.  This is a truancy mediation program mediated by the county's district attorney or probation officer, and/or a juvenile court.  Also in attendance are the Student Resource Officer (SRO), District Personnel, School Administrator, Parent, and Student.
    • Excessive excused absences – after 11 excused absences for illness, a doctor’s note is required for every subsequent absence.  When there is no doctor’s note, the absence becomes unexcused and truancy letters will be generated.

 

Independent Study Contracts

In order to maximize student achievement and social/emotional growth and in accordance with California Education Code, it is expected that students will attend school every day.  However, family situations do arise which necessitate emergency travel.  When these rare situations arise, families may arrange a Short Term Independent Study Contract with the school.  These contracts are appropriate for unavoidable emergency absence of no fewer than 3 consecutive school days.  Independent study for family vacations or leisure travel that can occur during schools breaks is strongly discouraged, since independent study cannot replicate the classroom instructional experience.  

 

A completed Short Term Independent Study Contract must be submitted to the main office or attendance office, signed by a parent/guardian 10 school days prior to the absence (depending upon school site requirements). The contract must include the dates of absences, return to school date, and reason for the request.  The absence duration should be as brief as possible, as absences of more than a few days will negatively impact student learning.  All requests must be approved by site administration.  Parents should pick up all assigned work on the last day of attendance prior to the trip.  Once the student returns to school, all completed work must be turned into the House Office or Attendance Office before the student returns to class.  If the student does not complete all assigned work, future requests may be denied.  Independent Study contracts at the end of the school year must be completed no later than 15 school days prior to the last day of school.  Independent Study contracts cannot be established during the first 10 days of the school year.  

 

Note:  If a student on an IEP is requesting a Short Term Independent Study Contract, the Program Specialist must be notified immediately so that appropriate IEP documentation can be determined.

 

Arriving to School on Time Is Essential

If your child is late to class, the student must come to the office for a late pass before going to class.  We urge parents to strive for punctuality so each child starts his or her day on a positive note.  Please allow time to walk across the bridge.  Excessive tardiness of more than three (3) incidences will result in formal parent contact.  The District Office is also notified when formal tardy and/or truancy letters are sent.  When a student is tardy (in excess of 30 minutes) on any of three days in the school year, the tardies are designated as truancy and may be referred to the District School Attendance Review Board.

California Education Code Section 48200 states – Each person between the ages of 6 – 18 years shall attend the public full-time day school for the FULL TIME DESIGNATED as the length of the school day by the governing board of the school district in which the residency of either the parent or legal guardian is located.

If you have any questions about Attendance you may contact Jeannette Collard at 510-582-4207