Attendance Policy

Attendance Accounting

Every day counts in your child's education! Every day a student misses school, he gets more than two days behind his peers. Every day counts for schools too. Effective July 1, 1998 excused absences are no longer funded by the state. Under the old system, a child in a classroom seat and a child with an excused absence (funeral, illness, etc.) were worth the same dollar. Under the new law we can only receive funding for a child who is present at school for at least a portion of the day.

Appointments

We encourage you to send your child to school for at least part of the day when they have an appointment. Making up some assignments is better than all assignments. It is also crucial that we continue to receive the necessary funding for a quality education. If your child attends a portion of the day we can still be funded. Please send your child with a note to the office attendance window before school, or during break, or lunch. We will gladly write them a pass for the appointment.

Attendance Verification

When students are absent from school the Registrar (Linda Cameron) MUST determine why. It is sometimes a difficult job tracking parents down to clear absences for their child. PLEASE remember that it is your responsibility to send a note or call me at 431-3425. This is a 24 hour message machine. Extended Illness Please notify the school immediately when your child is temporarily disabled, has an extended illness, or will be hospitalized for a period of time and unable to attend school. Home/Hospital instruction may be possible.

Caregivers

If you enroll a child in school and are not a parent or legal guardian, you are required to sign a caregiver's affidavit. It doesn't matter who you are, relative or not, there are no exclusions. This does not create legal guardianship. The purpose of the affidavit is only to prove that the student is living within district boundaries. The affidavit also protects the district from litigation by parents and gives authority to enroll and educate the minor. Medical care is also authorized by signing this form.

Interdistricts

Minors must attend school in the district in which they and their parents, guardians, or caregivers reside. Interdistrict transfers can be obtained at the Healdsburg School District Office at 925 University Street. Students attending HJH, who do not reside in the district, will not be enrolled without an interdistrict transfer agreement. Agreements must be renewed each school year.

Vacations

We encourage parents to limit vacations to school holidays. But, if you must, here's what we can do for you:

1. For vacations of five days or more we have Independent Study Contracts. 72 hour notice is required. These are beneficial for both the student and the school. The student is able to complete work in a more timely manner and hopefully not get too far behind. The school receives funding if the assignments provided to the student are completed. The assignments MUST be turned in on the day the student returns to school.
2. For vacations less than five days the student needs to notify their individual teachers and request homework. 72 hour notice please.

Truancy/Cuts

Any student absent from school without a valid excuse from the parent or guardian is truant. Any student 10 or more minutes late to class without valid excuse (oversleeping or missing the bus are not excused) from the parent or guardian equals a cut.

All uncleared/unverified absences become a truancy or a cut if not cleared within three days.

Please, call me or send a note for each day your child is absent or late. Every Absence, Every Day 24 hour message machine 431-3425

Here are some amusing notes to share with you. Bottom line . . .  I don't care what they say, just send them!

Please excuse Jimmy for being. It was his father's fault.

Please excuse Jennifer for missing school yesterday. We forgot to get the Sunday paper off the porch and when we found it Monday, we thought it was Sunday.

Chris will not be in school cus he has an acre in his side.

Please excuse Roland from P.E., he fell out of a tree and misplaced his hip.

Sally won't be in school a week from Friday. We have to attend her funeral.