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Student Absences

It is very important that parents call the school the morning you are keeping your child home from school.  It is the parent's responsibility to clear absences.  Any absence that is not cleared in 3 days will be marked unexcused.  Please call in or email the reason for your child's absence. EMAIL: lgampel@chicousd.org PHONE: 891-3285, ext. 202.

School personnel will consider the circumstances and reasons for each student absence and determine whether the absence is excused or unexcused.  Given parent authorization, school personnel will excuse a student absence from school for the following reasons:

  • Illness
  • To receive medical and dental services (please make appointments early or late in the school day so your child can be at school for as much of the day as possible.)
  • Exclusion from school for health and safety (not more than 5 days)
  • Exclusion from school for head lice/nits ( 2 days)
  • Attendance at funeral services for a member of immediate family
  • Observance of a religious holiday/ceremony
  • Quarantine under the direction of a county or city health officer.

Student Tardies

A student is tardy when he/she arrives in the classroom after the tardy bell rings, but before the first thirty minutes of the class has been completed.  A student is habitually tardy to a class when he/she receives three (3) or more unexcused tardies per trimester.  A student is truant when he/she arrives unexcused in the classroom 30 minutes after the bell rings.

School personnel will consider the circumstances and reasons for each student tardy and determine whether the tardy is excused or unexcused.  Excused tardiness is understandable. The student will be expected to make up work missed without penalty.  Unexcused tardiness is inappropriate and may result in disciplinary consequences.

All excused tardies should be accompanied by a doctor's verification note.

Truancy

A student who is absent from school without a valid excuse in excess of the (30) minutes or more per day for three different days during the school year will be declared truant, and the parents will be notified of their obligation to resolve the truancy problem.

After 3 unexcused absences, a letter of truancy notification will be sent home.  After 4 unexcused absences, a second truancy notice will be sent home and parents are urged to schedule an appointment with the school principal to discuss resolution of the truancy problem.  A student with more than 5 unexcused absences will be declared a habitual truant and a parent conference will be scheduled with the principal.  If suggested alternatives to reach resolution of the truancy problem are not followed through responsibly and successfully, the problem will be reviewed and consideration will be given to pursue a course of legal action.

We hope that these attendance procedures will help both the school and parents to work together in a cooperative manner towards our common goal of increasing each child's success in school.  As parents, you are responsible for the establishment of regular and punctual student attendance habits.

Your cooperation and support of our attendance procedures will be greatly appreciated.

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