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Attendance Office |
Ms Aiko Murase
tel: (415) 759-2730 ext. 3167 |
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| Attendance |
| In order to benefit from Lowell's rigorous curriculum, students are
expected and required to attend school regularly and participate actively
in the instructional program throughout the school year. To prepare well
for college, students must make maximum use of their instructional time so
that they can assure themselves of all the learning opportunities that
Lowell provides. Parents and students need to recognize that regular school
attendance is not only a legal and educational requirement of the State
Education Code, but it is absolutely vital for academic success in high
school, and therefore, must be supported by both parent and student. |
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| State/District Excused and Approved Absences |
| There will be occasions when students are legitimately absent from school
due to a number of possible reasons. The SFUSD Student Handbook has defined
certain categories of "valid excused absences" (excused by State Law) and
"valid approved absences" (excused by Board Policy), which are reproduced
below for your information. Parents and students are reminded that it is
the primary responsibility of the students with a State/District excused or
approved absence to seek make-up work from their teachers promptly so that
their grade assessments will not suffer. |
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| Types of Absences |
| Verification of student absences is accepted only from parents or
guardians, or the student if he/she is 18 years old or older.
Valid Excused Absences* (Excused by State Law)
- Illness--a doctor's note may be required for extended illness.
- Quarantine directed by the San Francisco Department of Public Health.
- Medical, dental, optometrical or chiropractic appointments or treatment.
- Attending the funeral service of an immediate family member. Funeral
service absence will not be more than three days unless the service is
conducted outside of California.
- Jury duty as required by law.
- Exclusion from school to obtain required immunizations if the absence is
not more than five days.
- Approved participation in a school co-curricular activity in which the
student represents the school or district, including athletic events, fine
arts and/or vocational exhibits or performances, and academic competitions.
- Religious instruction, if the student has attended the minimum school
day, and on no more than four days per school month.
*Counted for State apportionment payments.
Valid Approved Absences** (Excused by Board Policy)
- Students may be excused from assignments at the teacher's discretion when
they are unavoidably absent from school. (Board Policy 5113)
- Court appearances either as a defendant or as a subpoenaed witness.
- Observation of a holiday or a ceremony of the student's religion.
- An employment conference when requested in writing by the parent and
approved in advanced by the principal.
- Absences while the student is in Juvenile Hall, the Children's Shelter or
other shelter care or other custodial facilities.
- Personal or family emergency requiring the student's absence when
approved at the discretion of the school administrator.
- Administrative summons or when detained by other classified or
certificated personnel.
- Appointments, conferences or interviews with attorneys, law enforcement
officers, probation officers, and immigration appointments.
**Not counted for State apportionment payments. |
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| Absence from School |
Regular attendance is necessary for academic success in high school and is
the responsibility of both parent and student. However, if a student must
miss school, the parent or guardian should telephone the school before 9:30
a.m. the morning the student is absent. (tel: (415) 759-2730 ext. 3167.) If you get the switchboard, ask for the Attendance Office and
state:
- the caller's name
- the absentee's name and Registry number
- the reason for the absence
When the student returns to school,
he/she is required to bring to the Attendance Office (Room 131) between
7:15 a.m. and 9:25 a.m. or from Ms Schmidt in room 104 after Registry between 9:40am and 10:00am. A note from the student's parent or guardian containing should contain:
- the student's name and registry
- the date(s) of the absence
- the reason for the absence
- the parent's or guardian's signature
The student will be issued a readmit form which must be signed by all
his/her teachers, and returned to his/her registry teacher the next morning.
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| Absence from Class |
| Every student is expected to be present and on time for classes. If a
student is absent and his name does not appear on the absentee bulletin as
excused from school, the classroom teacher will record the absence as
unexcused or "cut." Parents will be notified of repeated unexcused absences
by mail or telephone.
In all cases of absence from school, registry, or class for any reason,
the student will need to bring a readmit slip to the next meeting of the
class. Readmits are issued in the Attendance Office to between 7:15 a.m.
and 9:25 a.m. and also in room 104 from Ms Schmidt between 9:40am and 10:00am. If a student does not have a readmit slip, he/she will not be
admitted to class. |
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| Late Arrivals |
| A student arriving late to a class does not need a readmit for that class.
He/she will be marked tardy. (Readmits are for students who miss a class
entirely.) If there is a legitimate reason for the tardiness, a note from
the parent or guardian should be presented to the teacher. Students who are
consistently late or who miss their early morning classes (Mods 1-3)even
for legitimate reasonswill not be allowed to enroll in an early section the
next semester. |
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| Early Dismissals |
| A student wishing to be excused before the end of the school day must
bring a note from his/her parent or guardian to the Dean's
secretary (Room 104), or the Attendance Office (Room 131) before 9:25 a.m. that day. Requests are subject to verification
by the doctor or parent or guardian. Permits to leave (PTLs) for an
emergency (e.g., illness) can be obtained at any time from the Deans. |
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