SLMS 25 - 26 Attendance Policy

ATTENDANCE PROCEDURES

School Absences
Students are required by law to attend school regularly. Every absence from school MUST be cleared by a parent or guardian. Absences should be cleared by calling the 24-hour Voice Mail ATTENDANCE LINE (949) 936-6701 on the day of an absence. A
doctor’s note should be submitted within three days of the student’s return to school to excuse absences or tardiness. If the note is not submitted to the attendance clerk or a call is not made within this timeframe, the absence will be unexcused. When
contacting the school about an absence, it is necessary to include the following information:

1. Student’s full name (spelling last name)
2. Date of absence
3. Specific reason for absence
4. Name of Parent/Guardian

If a student is late to school over 30 minutes, is unexcused absent from school three times, is excused absent from school 10 times, or a combination of these, the student may be deemed truant, and a doctor’s note or visit to the school health clerk may
be necessary to excuse absences. Student absence for religious instruction or participation in religious exercises away from school property may be considered
excused subject to law and administrative regulations. Written verification by the parent/guardian and the approval of the principal or designated site administrator is necessary in order to excuse the absence. (Education Code 48205) Other excused
absences include:

• Illness - Please keep your child home when they have any of the following signs and symptoms of illness: Fever
  (temp > 100.4), excessive runny nose, excessive cough, two or more episodes of vomiting in the last 24 hours, or an
  unexplained rash
• Mental health - California law states that absences for the benefit of the pupil’s mental or behavioral health shall be
  excused (Ed Code 48205). After 5 absences, a doctor’s note will be required.
• Doctor appointments
• Court appointments
• Funerals for immediate family members

Tardy Policy
You must refer to South Lake’s bell schedule and calendar (included in student planner and South Lake website). Start times for Anchor Days and Late Starts are different. If the student is tardy to school, he/she/they is to report to the office for a tardy slip. Students must also be on time to all classes as attendance is taken each period. Repeated tardies will result in the following:

Excessive tardiness and absences will be referred to the School Attendance Review Board (SARB).

Appointments Off Campus
Students must be signed out in the office before leaving campus by a person listed in student contacts. If a child is signed out for medical reasons, a doctor’s note needs to be provided. If at all possible, appointments made during the school day should
be avoided. Since students who leave campus early are not in school for the entire day, students who are signed out excessively may be deemed truant.

Short Term Independent Study Contract
Short-Term Independent Study affords students the opportunity to continue their education while away from school for a short-term period of time - a maximum of 15 days. Participation in independent study shall be agreed upon by both the
parent or guardian and the school (mutually voluntary). Independent study does not replace the learning experiences in classrooms and is in no way equal to the instructional experience in the classroom. As such, the continuity of learning topics
between independent study assignments and the in-person classes cannot be guaranteed, as a teacher may adapt instruction based on class needs. Please note that the school reserves the right to deny short- term independent study requests at any
time.

Short-term independent study contracts should be requested a minimum of five school days prior to the start date. The duration of the agreement must be a minimum of 5 school days and a maximum of 15 school days. Contracts should be
completed and signed prior to the first day of the short-term independent study period. It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to monitor and implement the contract.

Any assignments given while this agreement is in effect shall be submitted at the end of the agreement or in a time frame agreed upon by the administrator. If special accommodations are needed to achieve the learning objectives, please contact
your child’s teacher or school administrator. For students with an IEP or 504 Plan, a meeting is required to discuss the applicability of a short-term independent study contract and must occur prior to the initiation of a short-term contract.
Students are required to complete their course work within the set timeframe and it is the responsibility of the student and parent/guardian to monitor progress while on Short-Term Independent Study, and NOT the responsibility of the teacher.

Make-up Work
Students are expected to be responsible for making up missed work. Please check Canvas or Google Classroom for all homework and classroom assignments when missing class. Email teachers directly with questions.

Permission to Leave Class
In order to leave a room during class, students must have a hall pass issued by a teacher. Students should arrive prepared with necessary materials for each class and should use the restrooms between classes or at break. Restroom breaks should be limited to 5 minutes.

Emergency Information
Parents are required to provide the school with emergency information and to notify the school should name, addresses and
telephone number change.