San Ramon Valley High School

Reporting Student Absence

Student Absence Reporting

Full Day (recorder)

Partial Day ~ ~ ~

FAX

Main Campus Number

Students and their parents are responsible for attendance. Parents should be aware of the revenue loss to the district due to prolonged or frequent illegal absences. Parents and students should be aware of the attendance policy and adhere to the attendance rules and regulations. Students shall attend and be punctual to all classes and activities to which they are assigned.

Absences and tardies are detrimental to a student's learning and increase the possibility of failure. The following policies and procedures are designed to prevent these occurrences and increase every student's chances for success.

CLEARING ABSENCES

All absences must be cleared within 48 hours and must be legal as defined in the next column.

Give the date of absence.
Spell the student's last name. Give the first name.
Give reason for absence.
Identify yourself.

Partial Day Absences (When Arriving Late)

When arriving late the absence must be cleared within 48 hours by the parent/guardian by calling , , or . Students need to sign-in at the

Attendance Office.

Leaving During the School Day

Whenever possible, appointments should be made outside of school hours.

The student must obtain a permit to leave campus prior to leaving.
In order to obtain a permit, call the Attendance Office 12-24 hours prior to the appointment: , , or (M-F 7:30 am – 3:30 pm)
Notify the Attendance Office by the morning of the day of dismissal so that the permit will be ready for student pick-up.
Students may not leave class to obtain a permit and must do so before school, during brunch or lunch.
The student must present the permit to the classroom teacher in order to leave during class. Students will not be excused without a permit to leave campus. Students must then sign out in the Attendance Office.
The Attendance Office cannot call the classroom if a student needs to be dismissed. In the event of a family emergency, an administrator will coordinate the student’s dismissal.
Anyone reporting such an absence after the fact will be issued an “Illegal Absence” (cut), regardless of the reason. No exceptions.
When returning to campus the same day, return to the Attendance Office for a permit to re-enter.

GENERAL INFORMATION REGARDING ABSENCES

Absences may ONLY be cleared by a telephone call personally made by the parent, guardian, or person listed on the emergency card. Calls made by the student or persons not authorized to clear a student's absence violate rules for attendance clears and will result in student disciplinary action as determined by an administrator. The office will NOT accept notes, only calls.
Student requests for checking attendance records should be done before school, after school, at brunch or at lunch.
If a student's appointment lasts longer than the original excused time period, a parent must notify the Attendance Office by phone to clear the additional periods within 48 hours.
If a student feels ill at any time during the school day, he/ she must come to the Attendance Office and get permission to leave. Students must be issued a permit to leave campus and must sign out.
Students in the 11th and 12th grades may leave campus at lunch but must return before the 5th period tardy bell rings.
ALL FRESHMEN AND SOPHOMORE STUDENTS ARE TO REMAIN ON CAMPUS AT LUNCHTIME unless their parent picks them up in the Attendance Office. Any exception must be cleared through an administrator.

Legal Absences

Illness
Medical appointments
Funeral Services (immediate family)
Approved School-Related Activities
Court Appearances
Observation of Religious Holidays
Employment Conference (requested by parents)
Family Emergency
Pre-informed Absences (independent study contract needed)
Suspension

Illegal Absences (CUTS)

Leaving without prior permission from parent/guardian
Illegal phone call or forged note
Failure to clear an absence within 48 hours of returning to school
Failure to obtain permit to leave early
Failure to sign out in Attendance Office
Failure to return from off campus lunch on time.

Unexcused Absences

Personal reasons (car trouble, overslept, etc.)
Failure to complete Independent Study contract

MAKEUP WORK - Legal Absences: Students must make arrangements with teachers to make up work due to legal absences. Make up policies may vary from teacher to teacher.

Illegal Absences–Consequences

Illegal absences (cuts) will result in the following consequences:

1st illegal absence: Saturday School. Teacher may assign Attendance contract.
2nd illegal absence: Saturday School. Second stage of contract, meeting with parents, teacher, administrator. Student Attendance Review Board, (SARB) process begins.
3rd illegal absence: Possible drop from class with loss of credit. SARB process continues.

Students may not make up work for Illegal Absences.

TRUANCY:

Repeated truancy will result in referral to the Student Attendance Review Board and may also result in revocation of the privilege to participate in extracurricular activities.

Credit Denial Appeal: A parent and a student may appeal the decision to deny credit in a course. The parent must contact the principal within 48 hours of the credit denial notification to arrange an appeal hearing. Students must be enrolled in a minimum of 6 classes to remain at San Ramon Valley High School.

Administrative "Clear"

The administration will allow one (1) procedural clearance per year (to cover one consecutive absence only). Parents must please put the request in writing via email to the appropriate assistant principal for consideration. Clears are not guaranteed.

Pre-Informed Absences

WHENEVER POSSIBLE, VACATIONS SHOULD BE PLANNED DURING SCHOOL BREAKS. For trips, college visits, or other anticipated absences a parent may request a preinformed (independent study) contract. Independent study contracts must be requested by phone 5 days prior to the absence. Contracts are available for a minimum of 5 days of absence but are not to exceed 10 days of absence. The contract 8 must be picked up a minimum of 3 days prior to the absence.

The contract must be signed by the parent and teachers and returned to the Attendance Office before leaving school the day before the absence begins. The rules of the contract must be followed or no credit will be given and the days absent will be

unexcused.

TARDIES

Tardies interrupt the classroom environment and interfere with the learning of other students.

Students who are not in the classroom when the bell rings are considered tardy.
Tardies that are the result of arriving to school late may be excused in the Attendance Office only if the absence is legal and properly cleared by the parent/ guardian. Tardies and absences due to car troubles, over-sleeping, and other personal reasons are not considered legal and will not be excused.
Students who arrive to school late must sign in at the Attendance Office before going to class.
Three or more tardies to any one class may be considered equivalent to one illegal absence and could result in teacher referral for administrative action. See “Illegal Absences– Consequences" above.