Waterford USD

BUILDING THE HABIT OF GOOD ATTENDANCE IS ONE OF THE BEST THINGS YOU CAN DO TO SUPPORT YOUR CHILD'S LEARNING

Every month your child has perfect attendance is another chance to WIN BIG in our school attendance prize drawings.

CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER, MOON SCHOOL, LUCILLE WHITEHEAD INTERMEDIATE

Every month, our perfect attendance drawing is a chance to win a brand new bicycle and helmet and a $50 Pioneer Market gift card. If a student doesn't make into the drawing one month, they'll have a new chance every month.
At the end of the year, every student who has perfect attendance for at least one month will be entered into a drawing for a family pack of theme park tickets.

WATERFORD JR HIGH

Every month, our perfect attendance drawing is a chance for one student in each grade level to win a gift card for galaxy movie theatre and a $50 Pioneer Market gift card. If a student doesn't make it into the drawing one month, they'll have a new chance every month.
At the end of the year, every student who has perfect attendance for at least one month will be entered into a drawing for a family pack of theme park tickets.

WATERFORD HIGH SCHOOL, SENTINEL HIGH SCHOOL

Every month, our perfect attendance drawing is a chance for one student in each grade level to win a gift card for galaxy movie theatre and a $50 Pioneer Market gift card. If a student doesn't make it into the drawing one month, they'll have a new chance every month.
At the end of the year, every student who has perfect attendance for at least one month will be entered into a drawing for a family pack of theme park tickets.

Success starts with good attendance. Here's how you can help your child practice the habit of good attendance:

Set attendance goals with your child. Let your child know that your family values education. Tell your child you believe he or she can make academic progress.
Encourage your child to join meaningful after-school activities, including sports and clubs.
Support your child’s efforts in completing and turning in homework, studying, and working on academic skills and responsibilities.
Set a regular bedtime, and remove access to electronic devices after bedtime.
Avoid missing school unless your child is genuinely ill.
Arrange routine medical and dental appointments when school isn't in session, or after the school day.
Discuss concerns with your child’s teacher. Work together on a plan to support your child’s school success.
If your child seems anxious about going to school, talk to teachers, school counselors and other parents for advice on how to make your child feel comfortable and excited about learning.
Ask the school for additional assessments or special services that may help your child. Request referrals to community programs, mediation, or counseling services. These services can help your child with attendance.
Avoid extended vacations during the school year.
Report bullying or inappropriate behavior by notifying school administration or using the STOPit app.

missing 2 days per month equals 10% of the school year

Missing only 2 days of school a month on average means a child misses 10% of the school year, which makes it harder for them to gain reading and math skills, build relationships, and be successful in school.

DID YOU KNOW?

Participation in early education programs, like preschool and Head Start, lead to better attendance in kindergarten.
In the elementary years, students who miss school are less likely to be reading at grade level by 3rd grade. In fact, ONLY 17% of students who are chronically absent in Kindergarten and First grade can read at grade level after 3rd grade.
Absences and tardiness can affect the whole classroom if the teacher has to slow down learning to help children catch up.
Half of the students who miss 2-4 days of school in September will go on to miss nearly a month of school.
Attending school regularly helps children feel better about school—and themselves. Eventually good attendance will be a skill that will help them succeed in high school and college.

DID YOU KNOW?

By 6th grade, absenteeism is one of three signs that a student may drop out of high school.
By 9th grade, attendance is a better predictor of graduation rates than 8th grade test scores.
Nearly 67% of course failures are attributed to low attendance.
Absences can be a sign that a teen is losing interest, struggling with school work, dealing with a bully or facing some other difficulty.
Attendance is an important life skill that will help your teen keep a job and graduate from college.

BOTH EXCUSED AND UNEXCUSED ABSENCES HAVE THE SAME NEGATIVE EFFECT ON STUDENT LEARNING

In the valley, children often have allergy symptoms and it can be difficult to know how sick is too sick for children to attend school. The graphic below is a guide to help you decide. Ultimately, it's up to the parent or guardian to make a decision that is in the best interest of your child. However, if children become chronically absent, even with an excused medical reason, the school may require a doctor's note to confirm that the child is genuinely ill. Additionally, we encourage all families to keep COVID-19 kits at home and use them if anyone in the household develops symptoms or when returning from breaks or travel. COVID-19 test kits can be picked up from you school office at no-cost.

tips on when to send kids to school and when to keep them home

Excused absences are those with a valid reason and that have been communicated to the school by a parent/guardian.

Excused Absences Include ONLY the following:

Student Illness
Quarantine under the direction of a county of city health officer
Medical, dental, optometrical, or chiropractic appointment that cannot be scheduled before or after school hours
Attending the funeral service of an immediate family member (such absences are limited to one day if the service is in California or three days if the service is conducted out of state)
Jury Duty
Illness or medical appointment of a child to whom the student is a guardian
Upon advance written request by the parent/guardian and the approval of the principal or designee, justifiable personal reasons include:
- Appearance in court
- Attendance at a funeral service
- observance of a religious holiday or ceremony
- Attendance at religious retreats for not more that four hours per semester
- Attendance at an employment conference
- Attendance at an educational conference or the legislative or judicial process offered by a nonprofit organization
Service as a member of a precinct board for an election
To spend time with an immediate family member who is an active duty member of the services, and has been called to duty to a combat zone or combat support position, or is on leave from or has immediately returned from such deployment (the time granted is at the discretion of the Superintendent or designee)
Attendance at a naturalized ceremony to become a US citizen
Participation in a cultural ceremony or event which relates to the habits, practices, beliefs, and traditions of a certain group of people
Participation in religious exercises or to receive moral and religious instruction at the student's place of worship or other suitable place away from school
Absence for student participation in religious exercises or instruction shall not be considered an absence for the purpose of computing average daily attendance if the student attends at least the minimum school day as specified in AR 6112 - School Day, and is not excused from school for this purpose on more than four days per school month.
Work in the entertainment or allied industry.
Work for a student who holds a work permit authorizing work in the entertainment or allied industries for a period of not more than five consecutive days.
For this purpose, student absence shall be excused for a maximum of up to five absences per school year.
Participation with a nonprofit performing arts organization in a performance for a public school audience.
A student may be excused for up to five such absences per school year provided that the student's parent/guardian provides a written explanation of such absence to the school.
Other reasons authorized at the discretion of the principal or designee based on the student's specific circumstances.
For the purpose of the absences described above, immediate family means the student's parent/guardian, brother or sister, grandparent, or any other relative living in the student's household.

When your child has an excused absence, contact the school office as early as possible. Give your child's name, grade level, and the reason for the absence. Tell the school when your child will return. When you child returns, give them a note that explains the absence.

Contact your child's teacher(s) for homework assignments and make arrangements to pick up needed books or supplies if possible.

When an absence is planned, the principal or designee should be notified prior to the date of the absence when possible.

District staff may request a note from the medical office to confirm the time of the appointment in order to verify a medical absence. If a student misses 10% or more of the school year due to illness, district staff may require physician verification of any further student absences.

Unexcused absences occur when students miss school without a excused reason.

Unexcused absences include, but are not limited to, the following examples:

Oversleeping
Arriving to school 10 minutes after the start of school or checking out more than 10 minutes before the end of the day without an acceptable reasons
Leaving school during the regular school day without approval of a school official or other non-emergency situations
Missing the bus
Personal grooming appointments (hair, nails, tanning, etc)
Employment/job interview
Shopping/errands
Skipping class/leaving campus without following proper procedure
Needed at home/babysitting
Car trouble
Family Vacations

If your child is in danger or being chronically absent, the school may make a home visit, send truancy letters, or call a pre-SARB meeting with parents/guardians. If attendance does not significantly improve, you will be referred to the School Attendance Review Board (SARB).

The School Attendance Review Board is a committee made up of community members, school employees, and community agency employees who meet with students and their families to address attendance and behavioural problems.

The purpose of SARB is to work together with parents/guardians and their child to recommend feasible solutions, and prevent children from entering the juvenile justice system. SARB may recommend the following:

Changes to a student's school program or classes
Counseling/classes for students and/or guardians
A diversion program

Once a course of action is agreed upon, a contract is made and signed. The student and/or guardians must abide by the course of action agreed upon in the contract. The school and office of Child Welfare and Attendance will monitor the student's attendance and/or behavior progress to ensure the agreed upon actions take place. If the student's attendance and/or behavior improves as discussed, then the SARB process has been successful and no further action needs to take place.

If the expected improvement does not take place, then one or more of the following actions will take place:

A petition will be filed with juvenile court
A complaint will be filed with the District Attorney
A complaint will be filed with the County Social Services Department
The court may suspend or delay a student's driving privileges for one year once they become eligible to drive
Courts may place a guardian and/or a student on informal probation and order miscellaneous fines to be paid