Attendance

 

Attendance and punctuality rank high on the list of priorities of the Culver City High School faculty and staff. Regular school attendance is vital to successful academic growth. The interaction of students with each other in the classroom and participation in class are irreplaceable components of the learning process. Student absences, whether excused or not, disrupt the continuity of the learning process.

 

Attendance Requirement: California Education Code (law) requires all students to attend school until the age of eighteen or until graduation. The school’s Attendance Policy is consistently followed and uniformly enforced.

 

No Go List Policy: Students with 4 or more unexcused absences from any one period during a semester may be deemed ineligible to participate in extra-curricular activities including team sports / events, AVPA, and extra-curricular field trips for the following quarter.

 

Excused Absences – EC 46014, 48205

Pupils, with the written consent of their parents or guardians, may be excused from school in order to participate in religious exercises or to receive moral or religious instruction.

 

No pupil shall have his or her grade reduced or lose academic credit for any excused absence or absences, if missed assignments and tests that can reasonably be provided are satisfactorily completed within a reasonable period of time.

 

Notwithstanding Section 48200, a pupil shall be excused from school when the absence is:

(1) Due to the pupil’s illness.

 

(2) Due to quarantine under the direction of a county or city health officer.

 

(3) For the purpose of having medical, dental, optometry, or chiropractic services rendered.

 

(4) For the purpose of attending the funeral services of a member of the pupil’s immediate family, so long as the absence is not more than one day if the service is conducted in California and not more than three days if the service is conducted outside California.

 

(5) For the purpose of jury duty in the manner provided for by law.

 

(6) Due to the illness or medical appointment during school hours of a child of whom the pupil is the custodial parent, including absences to care for a sick child for which the school shall not

require a note from a doctor.

 

(7) For justifiable personal reasons, including, but not limited to, an appearance in court, attendance at a funeral service, observance of a holiday or ceremony of the pupil’s religion, attendance at religious retreats, attendance at an employment conference, or attendance at an

educational conference on the legislative or judicial process offered by a nonprofit organization when the pupil’s absence is requested in writing by the parent or guardian and approved by the principal or a designated representative pursuant to uniform standards established by the

governing board.

 

(8) For the purpose of serving as a member of a precinct board for an election pursuant to Section 12302 of the Elections Code.

 

(9) For the purpose of spending time with a member of the pupil’s immediate family who is an active duty member of the uniformed services, as defined in Section 49701, and has been called to duty for, is on leave from, or has immediately returned from, deployment to a combat zone or combat support position. Absences granted pursuant to this paragraph shall be granted for a period of time to be determined at the discretion of the superintendent of the school district.

 

(10) For the purpose of attending the pupil’s naturalization ceremony to become a United States

citizen.

 

(11) Authorized at the discretion of a school administrator, as described in subdivision (c) of Section 48260.

 

(b) A pupil absent from school under this section shall be allowed to complete all assignments and tests missed during the absence that can be reasonably provided and, upon satisfactory completion within a reasonable period of time, shall be given full credit therefore. The teacher of the class from which a pupil is absent shall determine which tests and assignments shall be reasonably equivalent to, but not necessarily identical to, the tests and assignments that the pupil

missed during the absence.

(c) For purposes of this section, attendance at religious retreats shall not exceed four hours per semester.

(d) Absences pursuant to this section are deemed to be absences in computing average daily attendance and shall not generate state apportionment payments.

(e) “Immediate family,” as used in this section, means the parent or guardian, brother or sister, grandparent, or any other relative living in the household of the pupil.

 

Unexcused reasons for being absent from school are considered truancies (Attendance code “U”) if the student voluntarily does the following without parent consent. Absences for reasons listed below are “unexcused, but verified” (Attendance Code “R”) if the parent or guardian authorizes the absence for any of the following:

 

1. Personal reasons not classified as excused by California Education Code and CCUSD Board Policy.
2. College visits without prior administrator approval.
3. Family vacation, going to the beach, lake, river, mountains or desert.
4. Getting ready for a date.
5. Babysitting, taking care of other family members.
6. Repairing car or household items.
7. Waiting for service or repair people.
8. Attending a sporting event other than a school sponsored event in which the student is a participant.
9. Other reasons not included in Education Code sections 46010 and 42805.

All other absences will be considered UNEXCUSED. California Education Code states that teachers do NOT have to give a student make‐up work for an UNEXCUSED absence.

 

Clearing Absences

Attendance is reported each period to the Attendance Office. Parents will be notified of absences by automated phone messages and letters. Parents are also encouraged to check Aeries.net (Parent Portal) on a regular basis for up to the minute attendance reports. In the event of an absence, students must clear the absence with the Attendance Office. Students may visit the Attendance Office before school, during lunch and/or after school. To clear the absence:

 

• Parent/Guardian must call the Attendance Office at (310) 842-4200 - extensions 3344 (for last names beginning with A-K) and 3345 (for last names beginning with L-Z) EACH DAY to report the absence. Parents may also email [email protected] regarding student absences.
• Absence notes must be signed by a parent/guardian. The school must be notified each day of an extended absence. Parents/guardians who verify an absence by phone are strongly encouraged to confirm theabsence in writing. (A written note does not automatically mean an excused absence.)
• If the absence is not cleared within 5 days, the absence will be permanently marked unexcused or truant.

 

Late Arrival/Pass Policy

Students arriving late (illness, medical appointments, religious or funeral attendance) must obtain a re-admit from the Attendance Office prior to entering campus. Students who arrive late without a legitimate excuse will be marked Tardy or Truant. Notes from parents/guardians given directly to teachers to excuse tardiness will not be accepted. All students must report to class on time. Please be advised that notes, phone calls or visits from parents/ guardians to excuse tardies will not be accepted. Only a verified medical excuse (doctor’s note) will be accepted. Medical notes for being late to school must be submitted to the Attendance Office at the time of arrival to campus (within the first 30 minutes of class). They may not be cleared afterward.

 

Tardy Policy

The staff of Culver City High School encourages each student to strive for academic excellence. Teachers are committed to providing quality lessons, which are challenging, rewarding and interesting for students. It is the students’ responsibility to take advantage of the learning opportunities that are offered each class period. All students are expected to be punctual and prepared for each class daily. A student is tardy if s/he is not in his/her correct seat and prepared to begin class at the ringing of the tardy bell. If a student arrives 30 minutes or more into

the period, it will be recorded as an absence which may turn into a truancy [Ed Code 48260 (a)].

 

Please be advised that notes, phone calls or visits from parents/guardians to excuse tardies will not be accepted. Only a verified medical excuse (doctor’s note) will be accepted.

 

Tardy Sweeps

Students are to arrive to class on time each and every period. Tardy sweeps are designed to identify students who are chronically tardy to class/school while encouraging promptness. The consequence for students caught in tardy sweeps is a one hour detention. Tardy sweeps are conducted regularly during random periods. Students tardy

during a tardy sweep will automatically be issued detention. Please check your records with the Attendance Office if there are any questions and monitor your attendance on Aeries.Net.

 

Hall Pass Policy

Students may not be out of class without teacher permission and a hall pass. All students should take care of personal needs during lunch and passing periods. Passes will not be issued during the first or last 10 minutes of class/period. Students truant from class or out of class

without a hall pass may be assigned to Saturday School.

 

Absence from Class

A student is absent when s/he is more than 30 minutes tardy or is not present during a scheduled class period. [Ed Code 48260 (a)].

 

Truancy or Excessive Absences

Truancy is defined as “students who are found off campus or out of bounds during class time without a valid excuse”. Truant students may be issued school disciplinary consequences and/or cited by the Culver City Police Department for truancy. Teachers and administrators will handle other consequences for truancies and tardies, which can include assigning Saturday Schools or other consequences. Excessive truancies or absences will be referred to the School Attendance Review Board (SARB) which meets at the Culver City Police Station.

 

After the fourteenth (14) absence for illness, even if non-consecutive, the student must bring in a doctor’s note excusing absences. When a student has had 14 absences in the school year for illness, any further absences for illness must be verified by a physician (AR 5113 (c).

 

Leaving Campus

Students needing to leave campus for a pre‐arranged appointment must notify the Attendance Office by 8:00 am to receive an “Off Campus Pass”. Leaving school without permission from the Nurse’s Office and/or Attendance Office will warrant a TRUANCY with a disciplinary action. Students must be readmitted in the Attendance Office when returning to campus (the same day or when returning the next school day) with the proper note/documentation. Parent(s) are to pick students up at the Attendance Office. The Off-Campus Pass must be signed (by a doctor/dentist for a medical excuse or parent for an emergency) and returned to the Attendance Office upon returning to campus later in the day or the next morning. If a student becomes ill during the school day, s/he should obtain a pass to the Nurse’s Office from the teacher or school official. A student should not call a parent first and ask to be picked up anywhere on campus other than the Attendance Office. If the student is too ill to remain at school, the nurse will call and inform a parent so that arrangements may be made for the student to go home. The nurse will issue a “Health Office Excuse.” If the student is absent the next day, the student should bring a parent note along with the “Health Office Excuse” issued to the Attendance Office for re-entry.

 

Students who leave campus without a pass from the Attendance Office or Nurse’s Office will be considered truant. Telephone calls or notes to the Attendance Office after the student leaves campus without permission cannot clear the truancy. This also applies to students who have a zero or seventh period.

 

Senior Off-Campus Lunch Privileges

1. The Senior Off-Campus Lunch pass is a privilege available to Senior students in good standing and will be reviewed quarterly. Students must meet the following criteria: 2.0 GPA; satisfactory attendance, no detention or Saturday School owed; and 40 hours of Service Learning completed. Applications are available in the office of the Secretary to the Assistant Principal over Athletics.
2. Students must apply and be approved for an off-campus lunch pass.
3. This privilege is for lunch time only. Unsatisfactory attendance (including more than seven tardies to 5th period) will result in loss of this Senior privilege.
4. Seniors are not allowed to drive other non-seniors off campus for lunch. Violation will result in immediate loss of privilege and disciplinary action for all students involved.
5. Any misbehavior or abuse related to this privilege will result in this privilege being revoked.
6. Access for off campus lunch will only be through the senior parking lot. Students may not exit through the Main Office. Students who exit campus other than through the senior parking lot may lose their off-campus privileges.
7. Off-campus passes will be reviewed at the end of each quarter. Off-campus privileges will be revoked if the student no longer meets the requirements.

 

This privilege may be revoked at any time at the discretion of the Administration