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STUDENT/PARENT RESPONSIBILITIES AND GUIDELINES
REGARDING ATTENDANCE FOR 2008-2009
All absences MUST be cleared within 72 hours
PHILOSOPHY
- The primary responsibility of the student is to be in class to maximize his/her opportunities for success. Excessive tardiness and absences have a direct correlation to poor student performance and are detrimental to the learning environment. Parents, students, teachers, and administrators all have a shared responsibility to ensure that a quality education is priority. Agoura High School’s attendance policy is directed toward achieving that goal, and allows for adequate flexibility to provide for a reasonable degree of tardiness and absences.
- Parents may review their student’s daily attendance by accessing the school’s website, WWW.AGOURAHIGHSCHOOL.NET, and logging on with your student’s username and password. Passwords are mailed to parents at the beginning of each school year. If you misplace your password, they are available with a picture ID in the Counseling Office.
Full Day Absences: A student can clear an absence by:
- Having a parent or guardian call the school to report the full-day absence within 72 hours (absence hotline: (818) 889-5381). Students returning to school after an absence whose parent or guardian has called to excuse the absence can go directly to first or second period. Please include your student’s name, date(s) of absence and the reason for the absence when you call.
- Upon his/her return, the student can bring a note to school signed by the parent, clearing the absence. Students returning to school after an absence with a note from a parent/guardian, can drop off the note at the Attendance Office for verification. Please include your student’s name, date(s) of absence and the reason for the absence in the note.
All absences must be cleared within 72 hours or the absences will be considered truant absences (unexcused) and assignments may not be made up for credit. Students may be dropped/failed from classes with three (3) unverified absences in any one class. Parents will be notified by phone and mail regarding unverified absences.
Part Day Absences: Students leaving campus for any reason throughout the normal school day must check out in advance through the Attendance Office. A student may check out during the day if:
- They have a signed note by the parent stating the reason for leaving and the time required to check out. The note must have a parent signature and a phone number to verify the reason. If the student is leaving for medical reasons, (i.e. doctor, dentist, etc.) the note must have the doctor’s name.
- A parent phones the Attendance Office and checks the student out.
Students leaving campus for any reason must check out at the Attendance or Health Office. Students must sign in at the Attendance Office when they return to campus. Students leaving campus for any reason and not checking out through the Attendance or Health Office will be considered truant for that particular class period. A parent phone call will NOT clear a truant or unverified absence when a student has left campus without authorization. Students must be in school all day in order to practice or participate in a game, practice, rehearsal, performance or activity. Requests for exceptions must be made in advance through the Attendance Office.
Students Arriving Late to School: All students must sign in (signature and arrival time) at the Attendance Office before going to class. A note signed by a parent/guardian or a phone call must be received within 72 hours in order to clear the absence. It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to notify the school within 72 hours of an absence by either a telephone call or a note to the Attendance Office.
Attendance Policy: Students will be dropped from a class with an “F” grade when they have accumulated six (6) unexcused tardies or three (3) unexcused absences to the class. Students will be dropped with an “F” grade from a zero period class when they accumulate ten (10) unexcused tardies or five (5) unexcused absences.
Tardiness: It is the responsibility of the student to be on time to all classes. Ten minutes are allowed for students to pass from one class to the next. Teachers will make the determination regarding excused or unexcused classroom tardies. Exceptions will be made by administration decision only. A student is tardy if up to 30 minutes late to class.
Truancies: A student is truant when absent from school or a class without permission of the school or parent. Truant students will be assigned hours of discipline and may be cited by the Sheriff. No make-up work is permitted when a student is marked truant. Students may not leave school without being checked out in advance by the Attendance or Health Office.
Absences: All unexcused tardies and absences will be dealt with in the same manner as truancy. It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to notify the school within 72 hours of an absence by either a telephone call or a note to the Attendance Office. Absent students are not permitted on campus to attend a class, take a test or turn in paper/homework. Absent students who are seen on campus are considered truant.
Absences, Excused: Illness normally will be excused with parent verification. A verification of an appointment by the doctor or dentist (i.e., doctor’s stamp, receipt, etc., but NOT a doctor’s signature) must be presented when the student returns to school. Full credit in the class will be given upon completion of make-up work or tests. The time limit for make-up work is one day for every day absent plus one day after returning from absence.
Absences, Excused (not ill): Absences due to death in the family, religious observances and educational instruction are considered excused as long as the parent calls or sends a note within 72 hours of the absence. Absences for reasons such as court appearances, college visit or family trip MUST be given prior approval by school administration before the student is absent from school. Notice must be received no later than two weeks before the absence begins. Full credit will be given upon completion of make-up work or tests. The time limit for make-up work is one day for every day absent plus one day after returning from absence.
Illness or Injury During School: A student who feels too ill to continue school must obtain a pass from their teacher to report to the Health Office. Failure to report back to class or to the Health Office will be considered a truancy.
Make-up Procedure: Students shall “make-up” assignments and tests during the time allotted by the make-up procedure. Students will have only one opportunity to do so unless extreme circumstances, as verified by the Attendance Office, cause further absence on the “make-up” deadline date. Make-up work shall be reasonably equivalent to, but not necessarily identical to, the work missed during the excused absence. Student must initiate the process.
Off-Campus Passes: Requests by a parent for a student to visit a doctor, dentist or other appointment should be made prior to the appointment time. The student must bring a note, stating the time it will be necessary for him/her to leave, to the Attendance Office. The note must be submitted to the Attendance Office during support period, nutrition, or lunch. When returning from the appointment, verification from the doctor/dentist (doctor’s stamp or receipt, but not a doctor’s signature) will be required.
18-Year-Old Waiver: In order for 18-year-old students to sign their own notes, a parent waiver must be on file in the Attendance Office. Students must pick up the waiver in the Attendance Office. When the waiver is returned, Attendance Office personnel will call to verify that the parent/guardian has signed the waiver.
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