Attendance

Bring your student to school every day. Attendance at school is compulsory until the 18th birthday or graduation from high school. Students are expected to be in class on time daily in order to receive maximum benefits from the instructional program. Students absent from school for any length of time (one period, one day, or many days) must verify the absence by a phone call or a note from a parent/ guardian within 5 days. Attendance procedures must be followed even after the student’s 18th birthday.

1. Nightly, the automated dialer will call the home phone number of all students who have been reported absent from one or more class periods.

2. The school provides 24-hour voice mail for reporting all day absences. 916-971-7522

3. Communication between home and school is a major factor in correcting poor attendance. Calls to the school attendance office are welcomed.

1. Tardiness at the beginning of school is unacceptable and is cleared only with a note or call from a parent/guardian within five school days.

2. Tardy or late students MUST check in with the attendance office before going to class.

3. Checking into a class 30 minutes late is considered a cut (and truant).

4. Reasons for an excused tardy are verified medical appointment, a late San Juan Unified bus, SARB or illness. 

1.     Verification of absences are to be made by telephone or note from the parent/guardian indicating the date and reason. Telephone calls should be made the same day as the absence. Please use both first and last name of student on all correspondence from home. This is especially important when the parent and student do not have the same last name.

Please include:

• date of absence;
• reason for absence;
• signature of the parent or legal guardian verifying the absence;
• current date.

2.     Failure to clear an absence or tardy by a telephone call or a note within FIVE (5) days will result in being marked as truant.

3.     Parents cannot clear teacher attendance errors, as it is between the teacher and student to resolve single period absences.

In accordance with State Law, only absences for the following reasons are considered excused:

1.     Illness or injury or having medical or dental services rendered.

2.     Quarantine under the direction of a County or City Health Officer.

3.     Funeral/memorial service: Up to 5 days for a member of their immediate family. No more than 5 days.

4.     Court Appearance with a verified note.

5.      Religious holidays.

Planning a college visit? Please follow these steps in order to excuse your absence from Rio:

1. Email your vice principal in advance with your plans- date and destination
2. Enjoy your tour
3. Upon return, bring a letter/email from the college tour to the attendance office. Thank you!

A student is truant who has an unexcused absence or is more than 30 minutes tardy three or more days in one school year or a combination of unexcused absences over 30 minutes or more. 

It is the responsibility of both the parent and the student to monitor the student’s attendance records.  Students should check their attendance at least once every 5 days to verify accuracy and clear unresolved absences.

* All absences must be cleared within 5 school days.  After the 5^th day, attendance marks are permanent and un-cleared absences automatically roll to cuts. 

*You can check attendance on the Parent Portal.

• Students may receive their password information in the Attendance or Counseling Offices.

• Parents may obtain a PIN and password by coming to the Attendance Office with proof of identification. 

1.     Rio Americano is a closed campus. Guests are not permitted.

2.     Parents, pre-scheduled guest speakers or military guests need to sign in at the RAHS reception desk.

3.     Rio Americano will not accept food deliveries for students from outside vendors.

Permission to leave campus must be communicated by written note, phone call, or a personal appearance by the parent/guardian prior to the school authorizing the student to leave campus. 

Parent’s Responsibility: Write a note containing:

• Student’s first & last name.
• Date, time and reason the student is leaving.
• Your signature and daytime phone number.

Student’s Responsibility:

• Bring note to attendance office before school, break, or lunch for early dismissal slip.
• Show the dismissal slip to the teacher at the beginning of class and watch the clock to leave on time.
• Agree with parent/guardian on a place to be picked up.
• Students MUST check in at the attendance office upon late arrival or return to campus any time after 8:30a.m. and before 3:30p.m.
• Failure to comply with the above discipline policy will result in disciplinary action.
• Students who leaves campus without properly checking out at the attendance office will be assigned detention. Parents cannot clear early dismissals after-the-fact.

 We will NOT interrupt class time during testing and finals.

***IMPORTANT – PLEASE READ REGARDING STUDENT ILLNESS**

If a student becomes ill while at school, he/she should report to the Nurses’ Office or Attendance Office. Students should NOT use their phones in the classroom to text or call parents asking them to call for an early dismissal.  If they are ill, they must let their teacher know and report to the Attendance Office/Nurse’s office to call home from there.  

Students who foresee being absent for five (5) or more days may request an Independent Study Contract to prevent loss of learning time. The Attendance Office needs sufficient notice (minimum 2 weeks) to process an Independent Study Contract. The Independent Study contract assignments must be completed and returned to the Attendance Office on the day scheduled to return.

1.     A student who attempts to clear an absence through a forged note or an impersonated phone call will have the absence declared a truancy and will receive disciplinary action for the forgery.

2.     A student must be in attendance the full regular school day of a contest or extra-curricular activity to be eligible to participate. There are possible exceptions, subject to interpretations by the principal or his designee.

3.     A student is considered absent from class if they miss 30 minutes or more of a class.

Any senior who has more than 36 period cuts will be in danger of not walking in the graduation ceremony.

What is the difference between an excused and an unexcused absence? Under state law, an absence is considered “excused” only for these reasons: 1. student illness 2. death in the student’s immediate family (up to 5 days) 3. for purpose of having medical, dental, vision or chiropractic services rendered 4. observation of a religious holiday or ceremony 5. court appearance (documentation must be provided and have the student’s name on it)

All other reasons for absences are considered inexcusable by California state law. If you have a special circumstance and are unsure whether it will be excused, please talk to your school’s principal for clarification.

My student is sick. Shouldn’t my child stay home? The health and safety of our students is the highest priority. If your child has a fever, is vomiting or has other severe symptoms, your child is too sick to come to school. Parents are allowed to excuse up to 10 days without verification of illness from a medical professional. If you bring your child to see a doctor, make sure to obtain a doctor’s note stating the date seen, any additional days they recommend your child stay home and the diagnosis. Upon your child’s return to school, provide the documentation to the front office (not to teachers), and these absences will be recorded as verified and will not take away from the 10 parent-verified days.

What about a family emergency? If the car breaks down, or there’s a relative in the hospital, is that an excused absence? According to state law, family emergencies are not considered excusable absences.

Transportation is an issue for my family. What can I do? Regional Transit bus passes are available at our San Juan Central enrollment facility. Some San Juan Unified schools have established safe-walking clubs and similar initiatives to assist children and families who walk to and from school. To find out whether your school has started such an initiative, or to find out how you can start your own, talk to your school principal.

Reporting Absences If a student will be absent or tardy, parents or guardians should call the school attendance number before school begins that day. Communication must include the following: notification date, student's full name, teacher's name(s), grade, date(s) of absence, reason for absence, and name and relationship of person notifying the school. Absences not cleared within five school days will be recorded as a "cut" truancy.

What is chronic absenteeism? Chronic absenteeism is defined as a student who misses 10 percent or more of a school year for any reason. But you don’t have to reach that level to raise red flags. Students absent without a valid excuse for three full or partial days in one school year, or who are tardy more than 30 minutes without a valid excuse on three occasions in a school year, are considered truants under state law.