Attendance

Alondra Mendoza, Attendance Technician
aamendoza@natomasunified.org
(916) 641-4960 ext. 27030

Parents/guardians must clear all absences in advance of the absence or upon return to school by calling Alondra Mendoza at (916) 641-4960 ext. 27030, or by writing a note including the following information:

Student’s full legal name (please print name clearly)
The day(s) and date(s) of absence(s)
Reason for the absence
Parents/Guardian name and the relationship to the student
Home and work phone numbers

All absences not cleared within 72 hours of the student’s return will be considered a truancy. Students will be given make-up work for excused absences. Students are required to turn in all make-up work within 48 hours after each day of an excused absence. Please be aware that not all absences will be excused.

The Education Code lists the following as the only legal excuses for absences from school:

Personal Illness: The school may require certification from a doctor if it is deemed advisable. (After 3 or more consecutive days absence due to illness, a note from a doctor is required and/or prior to 84 period absences.)
Quarantine in the Home: An absence arising from this condition is limited to the length of quarantine as fixed by the county or city health officer.
Death of a Relative: For the purpose of attending the funeral services of a member of the immediate family (mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, brother, sister). One (1) day for in state, and three (3) days for out of state.
Religious Reasons: (3 days allowed per semester)
Counseling Appointment: Any student absence due to a counseling appointment must be cleared with written proof of the appointment from the counselor’s office.
Medical Appointment: Services rendered include medical, dental, optometry or chiropractic. Any student absence due to a doctor or dental appointment must be cleared with written proof of the appointment from the doctor or dental office.
School Activity: This includes field trips, or other school sponsored activities.
Probation Appointment: Must be verified by a note from the probation officer.
Court Appearance: Copy of court document required to be considered excused.

A pupil absent from school under this section shall be allowed to complete all assignments and tests missed during the absence that can be reasonably provided and, upon satisfactory completion within a reasonable period of time, shall be given full credit therefore. The teacher of the class from which a pupil is absent shall determine which tests and assignments shall be reasonably equivalent to, but not necessarily identical to, the tests and assignments that the pupil missed during the absence. A student shall not have his/her grade reduced or lose academic credit for any excused absence if missed assignments and tests that can reasonably be provided are satisfactorily completed within a reasonable period of time. (CA Ed. Code 48205)

Closed Campus

Early Dismissal

Attending school is vital to student success. Please ensure that appointments are made outside of school hours whenever possible. Early dismissal during tests or final exams can negatively impact a student’s grade. Please be aware of when testing is happening and make every effort to ensure that students are present to take their assessments.

If a student needs to be picked up early, please follow these procedures:

Only listed parents or guardians are allowed to pick up students, UNLESS a parent/guardian has notified the school of other arrangements. Emergency contacts ARE NOT allowed to pick up students without notification from a listed parent/guardian.
Appointments: To leave the school during class time or between classes, a student should bring a note from the parent/guardian, prior to the beginning of the school day, stating the reason for leaving and the time to be dismissed from school and the school staff must be able to reach the parent/guardian by phone in order to secure permission to leave school.
Unscheduled Early Dismissals:
- A parent/guardian listed on the student’s emergency card, must be present to sign out a student from the front office.
- Inform the front desk that you are picking up a student for early dismissal.
- Have valid I.D. ready for verification.
- The front desk will contact the classroom and the teacher will send the student up to the office.
- Complete the “Sign Out” sheet with parent information, student name, and check out time.
Illness at School: Check out with the Health Office; the school will call home to obtain permission for the student to leave. The student will remain at school until a parent/guardian is contacted to take responsibility for the student. Students are not to call a parent to alert them of an illness before meeting with the Health Clerk. Please obtain a pass from your teacher to make this call from the Health Office. Students who leave campus without obtaining clearance as described above will receive a “cut” for each period missed.

Please help school staff keep all students safe and accounted for by following the check-out procedure. Students should not be called out of class by an adult via student cell phone. Students should always exit campus through the front office instead of through a gate to meet a parent. Students who exit campus without being properly checked out will receive a “cut” (unexcused absence) for each period missed.

Early Dismissals over the phone: Parent/Guardian must come into the Office and show valid ID to sign a student out of school. To ensure student safety, parents cannot call from the parking lot or from around the corner to dismiss their student and have them meet them outside. Students will not be dismissed to any parent/guardian without valid ID or not listed on our contact information for that student unless approved by Administration.

Early Dismissals during PE: Pulling a student from PE can take about 20 to 30 minutes. If a student needs to be checked out of school during their PE class they should come to the Front Office before going to PE and wait in the office for their parents to come in and check them out.

Late Policy: Late Arrival to School or Class

As a school we want students to know and learn the value of being on time, the decency of it, and the expectation of being ready to engage, and of honoring the professional relationship between teacher and student. It is critical that students practice and learn the habits and life lessons of punctuality and commitment because they are essential as students move onto college, a career, and life as a part of a larger community. As a school dedicated to educating young people, students deserve a clear, consistent practice.

The following is Natomas High School’s Late Policy:
Students are expected to arrive at each class on time. Students who are ready to learn at the bell utilize each instructional minute provided in the school day to maximize learning. Being on time is also a valuable skill that students can carry on to college, career, and life in general.

Students are considered tardy if they are not in class ready to learn when the period begins. Students will be marked tardy by the teacher if they arrive late to class or are not deemed by the teacher to be ready to learn by the time the bell rings.

Students who are less than 15 minutes late to class will be marked tardy. Students who are more than 30 minutes late to class will be marked truant. If a student is more than fifteen (15) minutes late to first period, then he/she will go directly to the Attendance Office to sign in and receive a tardy pass. Students who arrive (15) minutes late to school should have a written note explaining the lateness. Please refer to the aforementioned section “Excusable Absences”.

Attendance is a focus for our school-wide PBIS system. Positive incentives are utilized to encourage on-time daily attendance.
For the first four (4) tardies in a semester, teachers will utilize and document classroom interventions including but not limited to contacting parents/guardians, teacher-held detention, conference and/or goal setting with teacher, etc.
At the 5th tardy accumulated in a class during a semester, students may be referred to administration for an appropriate consequence which may include after school detention, after school tutoring, Saturday School, campus beautification or other possible interventions.

A student’s truancy, tardiness, or other absence from school shall not be the basis for suspension or expulsion. Alternative strategies and positive reinforcement for attendance shall be used whenever possible (BP 5113.1b).

Instructional Time

Independent Studies – Board Policy 6158

The Governing Board authorizes Independent Study as an optional alternative instructional strategy for eligible students, whose needs may be best met through study outside of the regular classroom setting. Independent Study shall offer a means of individualizing the educational plan to serve students who desire a more challenging educational experience, whose health or other personal circumstances make classroom attendance difficult, who are unable to access course(s) due to scheduling problems, and/or who need to make up credits or fill gaps in their learning. As necessary to meet student needs, independent study may be offered on a full-time basis or on a part-time basis in conjunction with part- or full-time classroom study. The minimum period of time for any independent study option shall be five consecutive school days.

A Parent or Guardian may request Independent Study if a student is going to be out of school due to an emergency, vacation, illness, or family obligation. When requested by a parent/guardian, independent study may be used on a short-term basis to ensure that the student is able to maintain academic progress in his/her regular classes. When possible, parents should give the school 2 weeks notice prior to student absence, so that work may be gathered and the Independent Study Contract may be completed. In an emergency situation, parents need to notify the school prior to the absence, that they are requesting Independent Study for their student. In order to obtain an independent study contract, please make an appointment with an administrator.

Importance of Positive Attendance

Showing up for school has a huge impact on a student’s academic success starting in kindergarten and continuing through high school. Even as children grow older and more independent, families play a key role in making sure students get to school safely every day and understand why attendance is so important for success in school and on the job.

Students who have habitual attendance issues (unexcused or unverified absences or truants) may experience a negative impact on their grades as well as limited access to traditional school activities such as dances, sports, drama performances, field trips, etc.

Parents are highly encouraged to check their student’s attendance status online via Infinite Campus and support their students arriving to school on time each day. For inquiries regarding Infinite Campus, or if an Infinite Campus password is needed, please feel free to contact the main office.

Facts about Attendance

Students should miss no more than 9 days of school each year to stay engaged, successful and on track to graduation.
Absences can be a sign that a student is losing interest in school, struggling with school work, dealing with a bully or facing some other potentially serious difficulty.
By 9th grade, regular and high attendance is a better predictor of graduation rates than 8th grade test scores.
Missing 10 percent, or about 18 days, of the school year can drastically affect a student’s academic success.
Students can be chronically absent even if they only miss a day or two every few weeks.
Attendance is an important life skill that will help your child graduate from college and keep a job.

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