ATTENDANCE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES 

The classroom experience is central to the process of learning. One must understand that it is difficult to make up work and still have the same understanding of the material that students would have if they were present in class. Consequently, grades will suffer if a student misses too many school days. Additionally, a student’s attendance record becomes part of his/her permanent file and plays a crucial role in acceptance into many high schools. 

Any student absent for twenty or more school days during one trimester risks the loss of academic credit and loses the ability to earn an A/O in any subject. The report card may be withheld for that grading period and this can affect promotion. All such cases will be subject to review by the Principal and the student’s teachers. 

A student must be at school and attend his or her classes for a majority of the day in order to participate in any extracurricular activities or school events held on that day. Arriving before 12:00 pm or leaving no earlier than 11:30 am (due to appointments not illness) would be considered permissible. Please refer to absence or illness policies. 

Students are responsible for all work missed while they attend their medical appointments. 

Any absence, whether deemed excused or unexcused, must be recorded on a child’s permanent record as an absence. 

Procedures to Follow in the Event of an Absence: 

If a student will be absent for all or part of a day, the following procedures must be followed: 

• Parents must call, email, or submit an online form (24 hour accessibility) (626) 447-6312 by 8:30 a.m. to explain the reason for the absence or contact the school through the Holy Angels app. Students may not make this call. This needs to happen each day the student is absent. 

• Upon returning to school, a written (or emailed) excuse signed by the parent/guardian must be submitted to the teacher. Excuses will be kept on file until the end of the year. 

• When parents will be out of town for an extended period, the office must be notified and a list of emergency contacts and caregivers must be submitted. 

Planned Absences 

If a parent knows in advance that their child(ren) will be absent from school, they should inform each of the teachers whose class will be missed. 

Medical Appointments 

The school urges that medical and dental appointments be made outside of school hours. However, if it is necessary to schedule an appointment during school hours, the parents must notify the school by 8:30 if the student will be absent. Students will be sent to and picked up at the school office at the appropriate time. A PARENT MAY NOT DISTURB THE CLASS TO PICK UP A CHILD. Parents are strongly urged to keep such appointments to a minimum. After keeping any medical appointment, the student must check-in with the school office before returning to the classroom and a note from the attending physician must be submitted. 

Any student who has been diagnosed with a serious or contagious illness may not return to school without clearance from a doctor. The school reserves the right to demand a medical clearance from any student.

TARDINESS 

Parents are asked to make every effort to see that their children arrive at school on time. A student who arrives late is disruptive to the classroom and detrimental to all the other students’ learning as well as their own. A student is tardy if he or she is not in line by the time the second bell rings in the morning. Being on campus does not constitute being on time. 

Students who arrive after the morning assembly must report to the school office. Ten or more tardies by a student in one trimester will prohibit that student from receiving academic honors for that trimester. Fifteen or more tardies in a trimester will result in removal from participating in any extra-curricular activities (all sports, student council, choir, etc.) through the following trimester. 

Any tardy, whether deemed excused or unexcused, must go down on a child’s permanent record as tardy. 

TRUANCY 

A student who is absent from school without a valid excuse for more than three days in one school year is considered truant. A student who is late to school over thirty minutes, four or more times, in one school year, is also considered truant and can be reported to the attendance officer of the local public school district. The school administration will conference with the truant student's parent or guardian prior to filing the report. In addition to reporting to the local public school district's attendance office, Holy Angels School Administration will enforce appropriate consequences in accordance with the school's disciplinary policies. 

A pupil who has been reported once as truant and who is absent again from school without a valid excuse for one or more days, or who is tardy on one or more days, can be reported again as truant to the attendance officer of the local public school district. 

A pupil is considered a habitual truant who has been reported as truant three or more times, and is subject to expulsion (Ed. Code - State of California, Section 12402) 

Students absent from school may not participate in any extracurricular activities that take place on the day of their absence. Partial day absences will be left to the discretion of the principal. 

POLICY FOR OBTAINING MISSED ASSIGNMENTS 

All homework assignments are posted on a weekly agenda. If a child is sick, and books are needed, the parent may call the office and ask for the materials no later than 9:00 AM. They will be available for pick-up from the school office after school has been dismissed. 

If a child is absent for reasons other than illness, it is his/her responsibility to find out any missed assignments. 

If a child is absent due to illness, the completed assignments must be submitted to the teacher within three days of their return to school. 

While an attempt can be made, teachers are not responsible to compile work in advance for a student who will be missing school due to vacations, trips, performances, etc.