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Attendance

UHS ATTENDANCE 24 HOUR HOT LINE: 949.936.7601

ABSENCES MUST BE REPORTED WITHIN 3 SCHOOL DAYS!

Research shows that consistent attendance is a key factor for student success. Students, parents, and staff members all share in the responsibility of ensuring regular school attendance.
All absences are considered unexcused until it is properly reported by the student's parent/guardian of the reason for the absence. When a reason for an absence is properly reported within three school days, an absence may be excused. For example, if a student is absent on Thursday, parents/guardians have until the end of the school day Tuesday (the third school day following the absence) to report the absence. The following defines reasons for which an absence will be excused or remain unexcused (per the California Education Code):

EXCUSED ABSENCE
  1. Justifiable Personal Reasons are for appearances in court, attendance at a funeral service, observance of a religious holiday, religious ceremony, religious retreat, attendance to an employment conference and educational conference offered by a nonprofit organization on the legislative or judicial process.  Teachers will provide make up work for missed assignments if absences are excused properly within three school days. Fill out this form and submit it to the attendance office.
  2. Doctor’s appointment and illnesses will still require a written doctor’s note or parent note to excuse the absence. Teachers will provide make up work for missed assignments if absences are excused properly within three school days.
  3. College visits and volunteer work for local/state/national elections may be excused ONLY if a pre-approval form (click here) is completed and turned into the Attendance Office before the date of the absence. If the Pre-Approval Form is not completed, these absences will be considered unexcused.
UNEXCUSED ABSENCE

Family business, student or parent work, car trouble, over sleeping, vacation, etc. Teachers are not obligated to provide make up work for any unexcused absence.

PROCEDURES FOR REPORTING AN ABSENCE:

1. Bring a note to the attendance office. The note must indicate:

  1. Student's name and short ID number
  2. Date(s) and reason for absence
  3. A daytime telephone number where a parent/guardian can be reached
  4. Parent/guardian signature

Or

2. Call the attendance office.  Call 949.936.7601 to our "24-Hour Hotline". Please include the following in your call:

  1. Your name and relationship to the student;
  2. Student's name and short ID number
  3. Date(s) and reason for absence
  4. A daytime telephone number where a parent/guardian can be reached
PROCEDURES FOR EXCUSING AN EARLY DISMISSAL

Students may be excused for leaving campus during the school day ("Early Dismissal") [per the California Education Code] by properly following the procedure defined below:
1. Parents call the Attendance Office, or student brings a note to the Attendance Office prior to departure stating the time and reason for dismissal.
2. Student arrives to the Attendance Office at the time of the Early Dismissal and is signed out while getting an Early Dismissal pass.
3. If the student returns to school on the same day, the student must return the Early Dismissal Pass to the Attendance Office.
Likewise, students who become ill during the school day must report to the Health Office prior to leaving campus. The Attendance Office will issue an Early Dismissal Pass if the student needs to go home.
 

CONSEQUENCES FOR AN UNREPORTED ABSENCE OR EARLY DISMISSAL

In the event that an absence goes unreported, or excessive absences accrue, the following consequences will occur.
 

AUTO DIALER

Homes of students who are reported absent from one or more classes receive a telephone call during the evening hours if the absence has not already been reported by a parent/guardian.
 

IUSD ABSENT LETTER

As a part of the Irvine Unified School District's effort to inform parents of accumulative student absences, once a student's absence reaches 5, 10, and 15 days, letters are sent home. This letter is informational, includes all unexcused absences and truants, and is an attempt to offer communication to parents.
 

SATURDAY SCHOOL

If an absence is not reported within three school days it becomes a truant on their attendance record, and the student will be assigned a Saturday School.
 

SARB (STUDENT ATTENDANCE REVIEW BOARD)

At the point that a student's absences and/or tardies become excessive, an administrator may initial the SARB process.
 

ARRIVING LATE TO SCHOOL (TARDY)

A student late to any class, any period of the day is considered tardy. Students more than 30 minutes late to a class are considered truant that period and need to stop by the Attendance Office before entering that class. Each teacher has an individualized Tardy Policy.