When a child is absent because of illness or for a doctor or dental appointment, call the school office (856-1622) by 8:30 am on the day of the absence and indicate the reason.  The law requires that the exact nature of an illness be stated.  This type of absence is an excused absence.

A child may be dismissed early from school only when a telephone call or note to the teacher has indicated the specific reason.  The school is not permitted to excuse children for music lessons, Scouting, sports, or other extracurricular activities.  A child leaving school at a time other than the usual dismissal time must report to the school office and await transportation there, NOT at the curb.

If your family is planning a trip of four or more days’ duration, please notify your child’s teacher in advance.

Tardy policy

Children should be at school by 8:00 am  Students are considered tardy if they are not in their classrooms at 8:05 am.  A tardy child should report to the office on arrival.

Persistent tardiness is a matter of serious concern.  When children are late for school, the child misses learning time.  The child misses the setting of the tone and the context for the day.  This has significant implications for learning readiness, as well as for the sense of belonging to the classroom community.  The late student needs to have instructions, presentations and explanations repeated and this hinders instructional efficiency.

Our school policy on tardiness is as follows:

1. Tardy means being 5 minutes late.
   The classroom teacher will indicate “tardy” on the class attendance sheet.
   Students who arrive after the classroom attendance sheet has left the room must report in at the office.
2. When a student has three tardies in the monthly attendance period, a reminder postcard will be sent to the home.  The postcard will restate this tardy policy and will include the dates of the tardies.
3. In the monthly attendance period, if there is another tardy following the sending of the postcard, the principal will call the parents.
4. If there is yet another tardy following the above #3, a principal-parent (and student, if appropriate) conference will be held to develop a solution strategy.
5. If the above procedures do not address the problem over a reasonable period of time, the situation will be referred to the PAUSD Student Attendance Review Board.