ABSENCESAbsences due to travel - if a student is traveling for vacation during the school year, it may be considered an unexcused absence depending on the reason for travel. However, if a student is traveling for a funeral, medical reasons, or has to take time off due to a COVID-quarantine, that would constitute an excused absence. Medical notes must be given on the first day the doctor lists as the excused date.
Any student who is absent is required to present to the homeroom teacher a written excuse signed by a parent/guardian stating the reason for the absence. We need to know the reason for an absence on the day the child is absent. Doctor notes should be given to the school and/or office on the day it is issued by the doctor. These excuses shall be kept on file until the end of the school year. Any prolonged absence without prior notification to the school, exceeding 3 days requires a written note to be put in the student file. If a child is absent at the end of the trimester and it is not possible to make up the work because grades have closed, any concessions will be at the discretion of the teacher. Parents should talk to the teacher to discuss options.
If a student has had any contagious or communicable disease, a note from a doctor or health department must be presented before the student is re-admitted to class. If a doctor note is presented after the prolonged sickness, this note will allow the child to return to school.
If a student of grades K-8 has been absent or WILL BE absent for a number of days, a parent/guardian needs to clear this in writing with the principal and give teachers adequate time to prepare assignments before the absence, not after the child has returned. This makes it hard for the school to allow the child to make up work missed. These absences should be kept to a minimum since the student misses the instruction that precedes the assignments. Additional work may be required upon the student’s return. Parents and students are responsible for asking teachers for all missed work and working with the teacher to complete all makeup work and tests missed in a timely manner. For every day a child is absent, they have one day to make up the work if it is an excused absence. If this happens at the end of the trimester, the parents must meet with the teacher to discuss fair options. Prolonged unexcused absences can result in a low Work Habits grade, which affects the Citizenship award. Students must earn and O or A in Work Habits and and O or A in Behavior to earn the trimester Citizenship award.
Excused absences include illness, medical or dental appointments, funeral services for family members, quarantine directed by city or county officials, or emergencies or special circumstances, as determined by the school administration.
If a student is habitually truant and parents cannot be reached by email or phone, this could affect the student’s academic standing and promotion to the next grade level. This could also signal law enforcement and trigger a call to the Department of Child and Family Services (DCFS).
Schools may establish their own policy for determining what constitutes excused and unexcused absences. Excessive unexcused absences may result in the loss of academic credit. Care must be taken to monitor how many excused absences your student has accumulated. Excused absences contribute to excessive absenteeism, as do unexcused absences. Having more than 14 unexcused absences is considered excessive, following district guidelines.
To report an absence:
Parents/guardians may call the front office at 310-329-7170 starting at 7:30am to report a student absence that day. They may also email the front office AND the child's teacher by 8:30am that morning to report an absence. If you call and no one answers, please email this info to contact@stanthonygardena.org.
This info must be included:
1. Your name and relationship to the student
2. Your student's name and grade
3. Reason for the absence
4. The dates of absence being reported.
Attach all relevant documents to any email to excuse the absent date(s) in question. Note that over 14 excused or unexcused absences at this school is considered excessive and can lead to a registration hold or dismissal.
Valid Excused Absences Under California State Law
Excused absences are ones that occurs for reasons which are considered valid under California state law.
Care must be taken to monitor how many excused absences your student has accumulated. Excused absences contribute to excessive absenteeism, as do unexcused absences. Having more than 14 excused absences is considered excessive, following district guidelines.
Excusable Absences
Under state law, Education Code Section 48205 allows absences to be excused for the following reasons:
Student illness, including an absence for the benefit of the pupil’s mental or behavioral health.
Quarantine under the direction of a county or city health officer
Receiving medical, dental, optometrical, or chiropractic services.
Attending funeral services of a member of the student’s immediate family, for no longer than one day if services take place in California, and three days if services are held out of state.
Immediate family shall be defined as mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, spouse, son/son-in-law, daughter/daughter-in-law, brother, sister or any relative living in the student’s immediate household. (Education Code 45194, 48205)
Student’s jury duty service in the manner provided for by law.
Illness or medical appointment during school hours of a child of whom the student is the custodial parent, including absences to care for a sick child.
Upon advance written request by the parent/guardian and the approval of the principal or designee, justifiable personal reasons including but not limited to:
Appearance in court
Attendance at a funeral service
Bereavement for an immediate family member
Observation of a holiday or ceremony of his/her religion
Attendance at religious retreats not to exceed four hours per semester
Attendance at an employment conference
Attendance at an educational conference offered by a nonprofit organization on the legislative or judicial process
Other reasons requested in writing by the parent/guardian and considered legitimate by the principal or his/her designee
Such absences shall have prior approval of the principal or his/her designee. Students who contemplate absence for reasons other than those listed above, should request projected absence be excused by presenting a note from their parent/guardian to indicate approval or disapproval or disapproval with reasons for disapproval if the request is denied.
A request from a parent/guardian that a student’s absence be excused shall not be granted if the principal or his/her designee believe that such approval would be educationally harmful to the student or set a poor example in matters of school attendance for the student or other students.
Serving as a member of a precinct board for an election pursuant to Education Code Section 12302.
Spending time with a member of the student’s immediate family who is an active duty member of the uniformed services, as defined in Education Code 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.
Attending the student’s naturalization ceremony to become a United States citizen.
Participating in a cultural ceremony or event.
The student’s engagement in a civic or political event, provided that the the school is notified ahead of the absence.
Absences authorized at the discretion of a school administrator, as described in subdivision (c) of Section 48260.
Education Code Section 46014 allows absences to be excused for the following:
Participation in religious exercises or to receive moral and religious instruction in accordance with district policy.
- In such instances, the student shall attend at least the minimum school day.
- The student shall be excused for this purpose on no more than four days per school month.
