Green Valley Elementary School

Attendance

EVERY DAY COUNTS IN A CHILD'S EDUCATION

Regular and punctual attendance at school is critical for your children so they can derive full benefit from the instructional program. Every day a student misses school, he or she falls more than two days behind their peers. It is very difficult catching up on missed lessons while learning new lessons at the same time. Research overwhelmingly shows a causal connection between elementary student attendance, grade level reading proficiency, and lifelong learning success.

The State of California reduces funding to districts and sites when students are absent from school as they are not receiving instructional services. This includes ALL absences, even those excused to illness, medical/dental appointments. In other words, schools receive state funding only for students who are in their seats for that day. We kindly ask you to be sure your child only stays home when it's absolutely necessary as it helps us continue to provide Gold Ribbon caliber programs, resources, and services.

Independent Study Contract

If a child will be absent for five or more days, an Independent Study Contract may be requested to excuse the absence. If approved, the student will complete work that is assigned during the absence and credit can be given for attendance. Contracts should be arranged with the office and teacher well in advance of scheduled absences (BP 6158).

TARDINESS, ABSENCE, AND TRUANCY

Tardy

A student is tardy if he or she is not at lineup or in class by 8:55 a.m. All students arriving late must check in at the office before going to class. Tardies result in loss of learning time and create class disruption. Students or parents must provide a reason for the tardy when checking in with the office staff.

Truant Tardy / Truant

Tardies of 30 minutes or more are considered truant tardies. Being checked out of school for 30 minutes or more during the day is truant. Students with three incidences of truancy and/or unexcused absences are considered a truant.

Habitual and Chronic Truancy

A student is habitually truant when absent 5 days without a valid excuse and chronically truant if absent without a valid excuse at least 10% of the school year.

Chronic Absence

Chronically absent students are those who are absent for any reason at least 10% of the school year.

California Education Code Section 46010 states the only valid reasons for absences from school:

Illness or injury to the child
Doctor or dentist's appointments that can only be scheduled during school hours.
Attendance at funeral services for immediate family.
Quarantine of the home by a health official

Should your child be absent, please call the school (677-3686) by 8:55 a.m. to report the absence.

COMMUNICATION / LETTERS / SARB

If there are any questions or concerns about student attendance issues please contact the school immediately. Likewise, a student's teacher, attendance secretary, Assistant Principal, or Principal may reach out to parents/guardians with concerns as well. The school and/or district professionals may be able to provide insights and resources to resolve issues early before they cause more harm to a student's education.

The school will send attendance letters after 5 unexcused absences (habitual truant), 10 unexcused absences(chronic truant), and 14 excused/unexcused absences (chronic absence). Other letters may be sent if there is a pattern of tardiness, leaving early, or combination of attendance issues.

If attendance issues are not resolved, a student's parents/guardians may be referred to the El Dorado County School Attendance Review Board (SARB). The purpose of SARB is to leverage county, state, and federal resources toward resolving attendance issues and is a binding legal proceeding.

BEHAVIORS AND HABITS FOR GOOD ATTENDANCE

Set a regular routine for bedtime and morning.
Lay out clothes and pack backpacks the night before.
Find out what day school starts and make sure all forms and requirements are completed.
Whenever possible, introduce your child to their campus, teacher and classmates before school starts.
Don't let your child stay home unless truly sick. Keep in mind complaints of a stomach ache or headache can be a sign of anxiety and not a reason to stay home.
If your child seems anxious about going to school, talk to teachers, school counselors, or other parents for advice on how to make her feel comfortable and excited about learning.
Develop back-up plans for getting to school if something comes up. Call on a family member, a neighbor, or another parent.
Avoid medical appointments and extended trips when school is in session.

We know you want the very best education for your child, and we do too. Thank you for understanding that Every Day Counts. Together, we can give your child the best education possible.