**PLEASE CALL THE SCHOOL OFFICE (925) 809-7531 each and every time your child/children are absent, and any time you know that he/she will be out.**

Pursuant to Education Code 48260, a student is classified as a truant upon a third unexcused absence or tardy in excess of thirty (30) minutes.  We would like to remind you that the school only receives revenue if a child is in attendance at school (there is no longer credit given for excused absences).  We ask each and every one of our parents to make every attempt to get their child to school on a daily basis. Additionally, students must be in attendance at least half of the school day in order to participate in any after school activities, including sports. 

• Excused absences are illnesses, doctor/dental appointments with a doctor’s note, funeral, court appearance, and religious holidays. 

• Unexcused absences include vacations and any absence that has not been verified as to a reason.  Students who have unexcused absences may be required to serve lunch and/or afterschool detentions as well as being placed on the Non-Activities List.  Repeat offenders may be referred to our local School Attendance Review Board (SARB) and/or Juvenile Court System.

Certain symptoms in children may suggest the presence of a communicable disease. Excluding an ill child during the infectious period may help decrease the spread of illness and disease to others in the school setting. The American Academy of Pediatrics guideline for fever is when an oral temperature has reached 100.4 or above. For Fever and or symptoms of illness, please follow these guidelines or those of your child’s healthcare provider to determine when to keep your child home from school.

FEVER: For oral temperatures 100.4 or above, your child should stay home until they are fever- free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication.

VOMITING / DIARRHEA: Remain home until 24 hours after vomiting/ diarrhea stops, unless determined by a health care provider to be caused by a noncommunicable condition and the child is not in danger of dehydration.

EYE DRAINAGE / REDNESS: Consult healthcare provider. If Pink Eye is diagnosed, remain home until 24 hours after start of treatment and there is no more discharge from the eyes.

RASH WITH FEVER: Remain home until a medical exam indicates symptoms are not those of a communicable disease requiring exclusion.

COLD/FLU SYMPTOMS: For persistent cough, difficulty breathing, severe throat pain, severe nasal drainage, remain home 24 hours after symptom improvement. If your child is diagnosed with strep throat, remain home for 24 hours after beginning treatment. For Covid-19, please follow current local state and county guidelines or contact the school office for exclusion period.

OTHER: For symptoms or conditions not listed, please contact your school office or healthcare provider for guidance on when to stay home.

Students leaving school early must be signed out and will only be released to an adult listed on the school emergency card. Please report all absences and submit doctor's notes to the attendance office. If your child requires medication at school, you must submit a doctor’s authorization form and sign a parent consent form. This includes prescription, self-administration, over the counter medication including herbal remedies, and medicated cough/throat drops. Authorization forms are available on the district website or from your school office.

Attendance Frequently Asked Questions

Should I keep my child home? If your child has a fever of 100.4 degrees or is vomiting/diarrhea, please keep them home for the health of all students and staff at Excelsior. If your child comes to the office with any of these conditions, the office staff will notify parents. If your child has a long term medical condition such as asthma, severe allergies or anaphylaxis, diabetes, seizures, etc., please make sure it is noted on the Emergency Card. In addition, students must be in attendance at least half of the school day in order to participate in any after school activities, including sports. 

How do I pick my child up during the school day if they have to leave early? A parent must sign out their student in the school office indicating the reason why the child is being picked up early from school. Your child will not be called up to the office until an adult is here to sign them out for early release. The adult, friend, or sibling picking up your child during the school day must be on your child’s emergency card, otherwise you must call the office to verify their identity, and a photo ID must be shown. A student may not leave the campus for lunch, nor are students from other schools allowed on campus.

What if my child is going to miss 5 or more school days in a row due to vacation or unexpected circumstances? The philosophy of Excelsior Middle School is that students benefit most from being in the classroom. However, if you know that your student will be missing school for a period of five (5) academic days due to vacation or unexpected circumstances, please contact the school office. Per Ed Code 51747, Independent Study is not to exceed one (1) week/ five (5) school days. If additional days are required, it is at the discretion of an administrator. The office must be notified at least ten school days prior to a student’s absence and a contract is signed by the student parent and principal. The school can arrange homework for the amount of time the student will be absent. Students may still have some additional make-up work to complete upon their return, but the amount will be manageable. In order to receive credit, all work must be turned in to the office, NOT teacher, within 72 hours of the return date. Please note that Independent Study will not be granted during finals week or State testing. If a student fails to complete the Independent Study Contract, the student will not be eligible for another contract for the rest of the school year.

What are your campus hours? Our campus is open from 7:30 AM - 4:00 PM. Students are encouraged NOT to arrive to school prior to 7:30 AM. It should be noted that students who do not have after school activities MUST leave campus after the 2:52 bell. We encourage parents who pick up students to do so as close to 12:30 on Wednesdays and 2:52 every other day as possible.

Tardy Policy
School starts at 7:55 each morning, 8:00 the gates are locked and the tardy bell is ringing. Students who are late to their first period class must sign in with the front office to get a tardy slip. If the tardy is due to illness or medical appointment, he/she must bring a note from a doctor for it to be excused. If a student is late for school or class for any reason other than illness or a medical appointment, it is recorded as an unexcused tardy. As for the other periods of the day, teachers will mark students tardy and each tardy will be counted towards a possible detention.

It is our expectation that students will arrive to their classes in a timely manner. There are consequences for students who are habitually tardy:

• Students with 4-6 tardies may be assigned either recess or lunch detention for every tardy (4 through 6).

• Students who reach 7 tardies may be assigned an after school detention for each tardy (7th and beyond). 

• Failure to served tardy detentions repeatedly may also result in suspension.

• Tardies in excess of 9 may result in SARB intervention, and a possible suspension from school.