Attendance
Yolanda Garcia
Assistant to the Dean of Students
Rosario Taft
Attendance Office Assistant
1. Whenever a student is absent, even for one class, the parent/guardian must call the Attendance Office (408-342-4211) between 7:30 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. on the day of the absence to explain the absence. These calls should not be made to the Main Office. Failure to call will result in the student being assigned detention. Since many calls are handled by the Attendance Office each day, please be ready to give this essential information:
- The name of the absent student, and the specific explanation for the absence, e.g., illness, injury, legal, etc.
- Approximate length of absence.
- If absence is because of illness, whether illness is communicable.
- If length of absence will be in excess of two days, whether homework is requested.
2. Teachers may not allow a student to enter class following an absence without an admit slip from the Dean’s Office. Therefore, when a student returns to school following an absence and before returning to class, the student must first go to the Dean of Students Office and check in with the attendance staff between 7:15 AM and 7:40 AM to submit the parent note which specifies the following:
- the explanation for the absence
- the exact dates of the absence
Notes may also be faxed in by 3 pm to the Attendance FAX (252-1645). Both a phone call and a note are necessary in order for the Dean to consider excusing an absence. Failure to do this will result in the student being assigned detention. Only the Dean can accept the reason for an absence.
3. Illness, family emergencies, and court appointments are the only acceptable reasons for absence. Medical, dental, DMV, or other appointments are not acceptable reasons. Parents and students are to schedule appointments outside of class time during free periods or after school. Our block-rotational schedule features extended periods of free time that will facilitate the scheduling of appointments that must be scheduled during the school day. Parents should call the Attendance Office the day prior to any scheduled student appointment. On the day of the appointment, the student must come to the Attendance Office with a parent note to obtain a Release Slip enabling that student to leave campus.
The school does not accept as legitimate those parentally explained absences which allow students to avoid a class assignment or which allow students to prepare for another assignment or school-related activity such as AP tests, a dance, prom, or athletic event. If it is determined that a student has been absent in order to avoid a class or to prepare for an assignment, test, or school activity, the student will be liable for detention.
4. Parents who plan to be out of town for more than one day while school is in session should notify the Attendance Office in writing as to who will be legally responsible for their student during this time.
5. If a student becomes ill during the school day, he or she must report to the Attendance Office, where his/her condition will be evaluated and the parent/guardian notified. A student who is too ill to attend class may not remain at school. If an ill student misses a class or leaves campus before notifying the Attendance Office, the absence will be treated as an unexcused absence and detention will be assigned.
6. School-sponsored absences from class are normally excused, e.g. field trips, school retreats, early release for athletics, etc.
Students who have a history of excessive absences and/or tardies may be placed on Attendance Monitoring for the following semester or year. This is reviewed on an individual basis by the Dean.
Once a student is placed on Attendance Monitoring, and he or she has reached three (3) absences in a class during a semester, a warning letter will be sent from the Dean’s Office. When this student has reached four (4) absences in a class during a semester, the student risks the loss of extracurricular privileges or being disenrolled from AMHS.
Once a student is placed on Attendance Monitoring, and he or she has reached three (3) tardies in a class during a semester, a warning letter will be sent from the Dean’s Office. When this student has reached four (4) tardies in a class during a semester, the student risks the loss of extracurricular privileges or being disenrolled from AMHS.
Absences because of Campus Ministry events are school-excused absences. However, students may not return to class after these absences and tardies without an admit slip from the Dean of Students. Absences because of Christian Service work (with the exception of Immersion Trips and the Freshman Day of Service) are not excused.
Potential discretionary absences should be brought to the attention of the Attendance Office via a parent note at least one week in advance of the absence.
In the event of a need for an extended discretionary absence (3 consecutive days or more), parents must receive approval from the Dean of Students in order for this absence to be considered excused.
Parents must avoid scheduling family obligations, trips, or vacations during school time. Such absences and absences that extend the already designated holidays of the school calendar will be considered excused only once during a student’s high school career.
Students are not permitted to miss school for events such as church youth group community service trips or camps, science camp leadership, or national political or leadership conferences, i.e., National Youth Leadership conference, National Youth Leadership Forum on Law, etc.
At no time should family vacations be scheduled during the final exam periods. Final exams are not administered prior to or after the designated exam period.
Parents should be very selective about absences related to non-Mitty athletic participation, especially club sports, as these and other discretionary absences are factored into the total number of allowable absences per semester.
The parent/guardian and the student assume full responsibility for discretionary absences and for the academic consequences entailed. Although teachers make it a practice to work with students who have missed class, it is not the responsibility of teachers to make themselves available for students who miss classes due to discretionary absences, especially when they have not been given sufficient notice. This means that teachers are not required to prepare work to give to a student prior to an absence, nor are they required to spend time after the absence explaining material or tutoring.
In addition, students should be sure they understand and follow each teacher’s policy regarding make-up work, as some teachers require that students submit work or take exams prior to the absence. If this isn’t done, the student risks not being permitted to make up the missed work-exam upon their return to school.
Discretionary absences are factored into the total number of allowable absences (5) per semester. More than (5) absences in one class during one semester is considered excessive. Students who exceed five (5) absences may have their academic grade lowered by the teacher, and may ultimately be placed on Attendance Monitoring.
Students are allowed two days discretionary absence during their high school career for college visits. Students needing more than two days, i.e. visiting East coast schools, should have their parent consult with the Dean of Students in order to have additional days of absence excused. A College Visit Absence Form (pdf) must be obtained from the Attendance Office and submitted one week prior to such an absence.
More than five (5) absences in one class during one semester is considered excessive. Parents will be mailed notification from the Dean’s Office when their student has four (4) absences in a class, whether excused or unexcused. Students who have reached five (5) absences in a class need a doctor’s note to consider excusing any further absence, and a letter is sent from the Dean reiterating school policy. If a student is absent more than seven (7) times from a class during a semester, whether excused or unexcused, the student risks being placed on Attendance Monitoring.
Long-term illness will be reviewed on an individual basis by the Dean. The Dean reserves the right to disenroll a student with excessive absences.
More than three (3) tardies in one class during one semester is considered excessive. Parents will be mailed notification from the Dean’s Office when their child has three (3) tardies in a class, whether excused or unexcused. Students who have reached five (5) tardies in a class will receive three hours of detention or Saturday detention for that tardy and for any further tardies, whether excused or unexcused. When a student is tardy for a class for the fifth time, a letter will be sent from the Dean’s Office reiterating school policy in this regard. In addition, the student risks being placed on Attendance Monitoring. The Dean reserves the right to disenroll a student for excessive tardiness.
Extended Absences and Homework Requests
If a student will miss class for an extended period of time due to illness or injury, the parent/guardian must call the Attendance Office as soon as possible to explain the nature and duration of the absence. Students who will be absent for two or more days should request homework assignments from their teachers via teacher email.
Graduation/Baccalaureate Mass Attendance
Attendance at Graduation and the Baccalaureate Mass is required of all graduates. However, attendance is a privilege revocable by the Administration. A student may be prevented from participating in Graduation or Baccalaureate for inappropriate behavior. Specifically, a senior participating in any form of a “senior prank” is liable for financial compensation for damages and for immediate dismissal or denial of participation in Graduation. Both the Baccalaureate Mass and Graduation are semi-formal events with a specified dress code (see “Attire for Senior Events” in the Personal Appearance/Dress Code section of this Handbook.) Graduates are to wear the academic cap and gown at Graduation. Only the gown is worn at Baccalaureate. No other decoration of any kind is allowed at Graduation with the exception of the C.S.F. stole, the N.H.S. stole and/or the Kairos Cross. Leis and other festive decorations may be worn at the reception after Graduation. All regular norms relating to student grooming and behavior are strictly enforced during Graduation events.
Students must submit the following information to the main office before school begins.
1. The Parent Consent Form (to protect the student in a medical emergency)
2. The Immunization Survey Form (required by state law). New students must provide proof of immunizations. California law mandates that students be sent home if immunization records are not up-to-date and on file in the school office. Information regarding booster inoculations, etc., should be sent to the school promptly to assist the school in maintaining current records. If this information has not been filed before school begins, the student is assigned detention every day until the form is submitted.
In the event a student is injured, involved in an accident, or becomes ill, school personnel will do the following:
1. notify the parent or other emergency contact indicated on the Parent Consent Form; and
2. call 911 for professional emergency assistance if needed.
Students are held responsible for being on time to classes.
1. Teachers will consider punctuality in class to be a certain percentage of the participation grade.
2. A student who is tardy must go immediately to the Dean’s Office to obtain an admit slip for class, as teachers may not allow a tardy student to enter class without one. Tardy students who are sent to the Dean’s Office by their teacher to obtain an admit slip must return to class within three minutes of receiving the slip.
3. Excused Tardies: There are some instances when students are late to class for valid reasons. The following are considered to be valid reasons for being late to class:
- The student is late to class because he or she is meeting with a teacher, counselor, or administrator. These students must always obtain an admit slip by presenting a note from that teacher, counselor, or administrator to the Dean’s Office before returning to class.
- The student is late due to an accident on a roadway that can be verified by a traffic report.
- The student is late by not more than 15 minutes because he or she is returning to school from an appointment scheduled during a free period. These students must always obtain an admit slip from the Dean’s Office before returning to class.
4. Unexcused Tardies: The Dean will assign a minimum of one hour of detention for each incidence of tardiness. The later the student is, the more detention the student will receive. Excessive tardiness may result in a student being brought before the Student Review Board for possible dismissal. The following instances would result in the student being liable for detention:
- The student left home too late. This includes students who are members of carpools, those who are dropped off by their parents, and students who provide transportation to other family members.
- The student was talking with another student, loitering or escorting another student to class.
Detention is assigned to a student who chooses to miss an assigned class without a legitimate excuse. In each instance of an unexcused absence, a student is assigned four hours of detention for each class session. On the second occurrence of an unexcused absence, a student is assigned eight hours of detention for each missed class. On the third occurrence, the student will be placed on Disciplinary Monitoring. On the fourth occasion of unexcused absence, the student will be referred to the Student Review Board for possible dismissal from school. An excuse will be considered as legitimate by the Dean only after the parent phone call and note are received in the Dean’s Office.
a)It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that all legitimate absences have been excused. If, for whatever reason, a parent does not call in an excuse on the day of the absence and provide a note the day the student returns to school, detention will be given to the student. Moreover, notes written by parents giving false reasons for absences or requests to be off campus will result in the student receiving detention for an unexcused absence.
b)The parent will be notified by the Attendance Office, and the student will normally perform appropriate hours of detention, for every class period cut. A student risks receiving a failing grade for any test, quiz, or assignment missed due to the unexcused absence.
