Attendance

How to Report an Absence

Please call the office by 8:30am when your child is absent from school. Leave the following information:

• child's name and grade
• teacher's name
• reason for the absence
• Day or date
• Anticipated lengths of absence (if 3 or more days ask for Independent Study)

Office phone number: 714-894-7261

If your child must be absent, please notify the school for the reason of the absence by 8:30 am. If we do not receive parent notification by 8:30am, then you will receive an automated robocall, email, and/or text, reminding you to call in the absence.  It is the parent's responsibility to clear a child's absence within three days.  Absences not verified within three days become unexcused absences. Families should message their teacher for classwork and homework.

Leaving School Early

Please attempt to make medical/dental appointments outside of school hours.  If your child does need to leave campus early, please send a note to your child's teacher.  Your child will be called from class, once you arrives.  If someone other than yourself, will be picking up your child, you need to notify the office and add them to your Contacts in the Aeries Parent Portal. We can only release your child to adults designated in your Aeries Parent Portal.  ID is required. 

Tardiness

Tardiness not only interrupts the instructional program but cultivates detrimental behavior that is difficult to reverse once a child reaches middle school. A student who arrives after the 8:00 bell must go through the office to receive a Tardy slip before entering the classroom. 

Many parents share that their child’s tardy is due to the parents’ scheduling errors or traffic. Please be aware that “on time” behavior is definitely learned; help your child be on time so that he/she can develop good habits at a young age. If, however, your child is arriving due to a doctor/dentist appointment and presents verification of the appointment he/she will be marked with an "excused" tardy.  Students with excessive tardies may be placed on an Attendance Agreement. 

Attendance FAQ

Q:  How do I submit a DOCTOR'S NOTE to the office?

A:   Please hand deliver or email to the Office Manager, Tracie Tellez at ttellez@wsdk8.us

Q:  What if my child will be absent for 3 or more days?

A:   If your child will be absent for 3 or more days, then contact the office and tell them about the absences. They will assist you with placing your child on an Independent Study Contract. 

Q:  What are the California Ed. Codes that our school must follow?

A:  Once a student has 10 excused absences or 5 unexcused absences, a parent will need to attend an Attendance Meeting and have an Attendance Agreement per the State Ed. Code. If absences continue, then the parent will be invited to attend an Attendance Meeting with the Orange County District Attorney.

Excused Absence: 

California state determines what is considered an "excused" absence. A pupil may only be excused from school for personal illness, city or county quarantine, medical, dental, optometric, or chiropractic appointments (please bring your child to school following the appointment with a note from the health care office); religious purposes; pupil court appearances; funeral of an immediate family member (1 day excused for in-state services; 3 days excused for out-of-state) (EC 48205).  After 14 days of excused absences for illness, additional absences for illness will require a doctor’s note (except in the case of prolonged serious illness) (AR 5113).  

Unexcused Absence: 

California state determines what is considered an "unexcused" absence. Vacations, conflicts with other pupils, missed bus, car broke down, babysitting, asthma, head lice beyond two (2 days), or being “tired”.  It is the parent’s responsibility to clear the child’s absence within 5 days or it will be marked unexcused.

California Education Code 48260 states:
1.Your child is legally a truant with 3 unexcused absences; a repeated truant with 4 unexcused absences and a habitual truant with 5 unexcused absences.

2. Missing more than thirty (30) minutes of instruction during the school day (AM or PM) is considered truancy without a valid excuse.

Please be aware that California State Law (Education Code 48290) states that parents who fail to meet their obligation of insuring their child’s regular school attendance are guilty of a law violation and are also subject to prosecution pursuant to Article 6.  Excessive unexcused absences will result in an invitation to attend the Orange County District Attorney Parent Meeting and/or a referral to the District Pupil Attendance Review Board (SARB).  

FOOTNOTE:  Pupils placed on SARB Contracts, MUST abide by SARB Contract. The SARB Contract takes precedence over the above. SARB Contracts do not expire and remain in effect from year to year.

Positive Attendance Tips

1. Make great school attendance a priority for your student.

2. Talk to your child about the importance of daily attendance in every class and how it helps his/her learning.

3. Ensure your student has a regular bedtime for a good night's sleep.

4. If you are scheduling medical appointments, it is in your child’s best interest if you can make them before or after school so as not to interrupt their learning.

5. If your student must be out of school for an appointment, get him/her back to school for at least part of the school day.

6. If your family has religious beliefs that may conflict with holiday activities at your school, please discuss this, in advance, with your principal.