Charlotte Wood Middle School

SCHOOL INFORMATION 

CHARLOTTE WOOD MIDDLE SCHOOL

Attendance Line: (925) 855-7798 (available 24/7)

Attendance Secretary: Stephanie Oertel

Independent Study Contracts: please see information towards the bottom of this page.

School Office hours are 7:30am. to 4:00pm. on school days. 

 

ATTENDANCE CODES IN INFINITE CAMPUS 

Attendance Codes

 

 

San Ramon Valley Unified School District believes there is a direct relationship between consistent attendance and student success. Students with good attendance achieve higher grades, feel more connected to their school community, realize success, earn the necessary credits for graduation, and learn positive habits that will support future college and career readiness and success.

 

BP/AR 5113 

Regular school attendance is an important part of a student’s educational success, and in fact state law requires daily attendance at school. Students who attend school regularly have been shown to achieve at higher levels than students who do not have regular attendance, and poor attendance is associated with higher dropout rates and lower achievement in reading, math, and general knowledge.

Please see our attendance policies and procedures below. If you have any questions, please contact your school Attendance Office/Line at [customize].

 

REPORTING AN ABSENCE 

All absences must be reported to the school Attendance Office/Line, even if it does not meet the requirements for an excused absence.  When leaving a message or providing a signed note/email, the parent/guardian should include:

 

The following methods may be used to report or verify student absences:

Parents/guardians must contact the school Attendance Office/Line to report the student’s absence, providing the information listed above (Reporting an Absence).  All absences must be reported within two (2) school days of the student’s return to school or the absence will be marked as a CUT.

 

Students arriving late must have a parent/guardian contact the attendance line prior to the student arriving at school, giving the same information as above (Reporting an Absence) as well as the approximate time of arrival. Students must always sign in at the front office upon arrival before going to class.

Students whose late arrival results in missing one or more entire period(s) must have a parent/guardian call the attendance line to clear the absence within two (2) days or it will be changed to as a CUT.

 

For students who need to leave class early, parents/guardians need to send a note with the student and turn it into the attendance office before school begins. 

 

The note should include the following:

 

The student will be given a yellow pass at this time. The student will show the teacher the pass during the appropriate time and will need to meet a parent/guardian in the attendance office to sign the student out before leaving campus. Failure to sign out will result in a Cut for any missed classes.

This is a safety policy that is strictly enforced.

 

*Should a student need to leave early due to illness on campus, parents are to pick up their student from the nurse’s office.

 

In order to align our attendance/tardy policy with the State Education Code and the rest of the District, parents will not be able to clear tardies for personal reasons (business phone calls, late car pools, over-sleeping, traffic, rain, flat tires, vacations, etc).

 

According to the State, “legal” absence/tardy reasons are limited to illness, medical/dental appointments, religious holidays and funerals. Therefore, tardies resulting from personal (illegal) reasons will remain unexcused.

 

As always, disciplinary actions will be taken after 4 unexcused tardies. In addition, any student arriving more than 30 minutes late without a valid, legal reason will incur a “VTY” (very tardy). More than three “VTY’s” in one school year could result in SARB (School Attendance Review Board) proceedings.

 

Tardies interrupt the classroom environment and interfere with the learning of other students. Our first period bell rings at 8:10 and students are considered tardy if they are not in their seats when the 8:15 bell rings. On Wednesdays, the first bell rings at 9:25a.

 

Students arriving after 8:15a, and after 9:30a on Wednesdays, must stop at the Attendance Office and sign-in before going to class. Students must have a doctor's note or a parent must present in order to sign in.

 

 

Disciplinary action will be taken as a result of multiple unexcused tardies.

 

EXCUSED ABSENCES DEFINED 

A student's absence shall be excused for the following reasons as outlined by California Ed Code 48205: (See AR 5113 for additional details)

 

BP/AR 5113    Absences and Excuses

BP/AR 5113.1 Chronic Absence and Truancy

An administrator or designee may call a parent conference for each student when the student has accumulated ten (10) full-day excused, scattered absences during the school year. After the 10th full-day excused absence, a doctor’s note will be required for each subsequent full or partial day absence for illness or physician’s appointment to mark the absence as excused. We encourage students who are experiencing ongoing health issues that impact regular attendance to reach out to the school nurse or counselor for additional support.

When a student is absent for a legitimately  excused or a justifiable personal excused absence, that student shall be allowed to complete all assignments and tests missed during the absence that can be reasonably provided. Upon satisfactory completion within a reasonable period of time, the student shall be given full credit for assignments and tests completed. The teacher shall determine what tests and assignments shall be reasonably equivalent to, but not necessarily identical to, the tests and assignments that the pupil missed during the absence. (Education Code 48205)

 

Students meeting the definition for truancy begin the truancy process outlined in SRVUSD Board Policy AR 5113.1.  Education Code section 48260 provides a definition for truancy: 

Steps in the Truancy Process: 

The School Attendance Review Board (SARB) process was created by the State Legislature in  Education Code section 48320, et seq. to promote and support the coordination of school, community, and home efforts to deal with student attendance and behavior problems. The SARB panel maximizes the use of all available resources and services, avoiding unnecessary duplication of resources to resolve attendance and behavior problems, and diverting students with school related problems from the juvenile justice system.  

For more detailed information related to truancy and our district’s policies related to truancy, SART and SARB, please visit the district website.

 

 

 

The easiest and most effective way to clear your child’s attendance is by calling the attendance line and leaving a message or sending an email.

 

When a student is absent from school, their parent or guardian should verify the reason for absence by explaining the reason for the absence.  This is required from California Education Code Section 46012.

 

California Education Code is explicit in distinguishing between  an excused and an unexcused absence.  According to Education Code Section 48205, the following types of absences are excusable as long as parents/guardians notify the attendance office within two (2) days:

 

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 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.  (Education Code 48225.5)

 

 

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. (Education Code 48225.5)

 

 

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.  (Education Code 48205)

 

When a student has accumulated 10 full-day excused, scattered absences in the school year as verified by methods listed in #1-3 in the District’s AR 5113 (written or verbal communication from parent/guardian or school employee making a home visit), any subsequent full or partial day absences for illness or physician’s appointment shall require physician’s verification or must be excused by method of the district's chronic illness form.

 

Education Code section 48260 provides a definition for truancy, which initiates the truancy process outlined in SRVUSD Board Policy AR 5113.1: 

Education Code section 48262 defines habitual truancy:

 

Students who are hospitalized for more than 20 days qualify for a type of Independent Studies called “Home and Hospital Instruction”.   

 

Secondary:  To initiate home and hospital they need to contact their school counselor. 

Elementary:  To initiate please contact your school principal.

 

Please contact our Student Services Department for any questions and support (925) 552-5052.

If your student is unenrolled, there may not be a space at the current school for your student to return in the fall. In this case your student may have to be diverted to another elementary school in the district. Middle and High school students may not be able to access their elective choices if they re-enroll upon their return.

Please note:

In accordance with California Education Codes 48205 and 48260, and District Board Policy and Administrative Regulation 5113, any student who misses 3 or more school days without a valid excuse, as defined by AR 5113, shall be reported as truant to the District attendance supervisor.

 

WHAT HAPPENS IF WE MISS THE FIRST THREE DAYS OF SCHOOL?
As you plan your summer vacation, be aware that school begins on Thursday, August 10, 2023. Some of our schools are very full and may have wait lists.

 

HOW DO I REQUEST A SHORT-TERM PRE-DETERMINED ABSENCE INDEPENDENT STUDY FOR (MAXIMUM OF 14 DAYS)?
To request a short term pre-determined absence Independent Study Contract, a parent/guardian must submit a completed form to the Attendance Office. Click here for an Independent Study Request Form. The Independent Study program is available to students who are taking a trip for 5 or more consecutive school days (AR 6158). This program provides students with the opportunity to maintain their grades and credits for their classes.