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Antelope Valley School District

Attendance

Below you will find all Attendance Policies and the Attendance Office Email for Submitting Student Absence Requests: 

Need to Report/Clear a Student Absence?

***Please Note that only Parents/Legal Guardians can excuse a student absence*** 

You can submit Student Absence notes by emailing them to:

hhs-attendance@avhsd.org

****IF THE LINK ABOVE DOES NOT OPEN TO COMPOSE AN EMAIL, PLEASE HIGHLIGHT IT, THEN COPY AND PASTE IT INTO YOUR EMAIL****

When clearing the absence, please make sure you are using an email address that is listed on the student's PowerSchool for the parents/guardians.  Include as much information about the absence as possible and attach a phone number so we are able to follow up.  

On-Site/General Attendance Policies

ABSENCES

If a student is absent from class, he or she should do one of the following within three days of returning to school:

  1. Bring a note to the attendance office from a parent or guardian stating the date(s) of the absence and the reason(s) for the absence.
  2. If the parent or guardian is unable to email, parent or guardian must call the attendance office and give the date (s) of the absence and the reason(s) for the absence.

*For the safety of our students, students will not be released from school over the phone. Only the parent or emergency contact can pick up a student from school. These individuals must be listed in PowerSchool.

OFF-CAMPUS PASSES

Students may not leave campus for any reason without an off-campus pass. Off-campus requests must be in writing to the Attendance Office. Students may bring the note either before school or at snack. All requests will be verified prior to release of the student. Parents are welcome to come to the Attendance Office to sign their student out with proper ID. Students will not be paged during school hours. Students will not be released via phone call requests.

Short Term Independent Study is for extended absences other than illness (i.e., vacation, camps, etc.) of three or more days, not to exceed 15 days. Credit can be obtained for class work completed during the student’s absence from school. Completed forms must be submitted at least 5 days prior to the first day of expected absence. Contact the attendance office for further information.

DITCH DAYS

Highland High School does NOT authorize “ditch days” at any time for any grade level. If a student is caught out of class or off-campus without authorization they will be referred to a Vice Principal or Community Attendance Worker.

SENIOR LUNCH PRIVILEGE/PASS

Seniors who meet the criteria of at least a 3.0 GPA (unweighted), have earned 170 credits at the close of their junior year, and have no unsatisfactory citizenship marks on their last semester's report card, have no more than 10 unverified absences and no more than 5 tardies, may earn the privilege of going off campus for lunch. Check with the Vice Principal's Office. Appointments following lunch still require an off campus pass from the Attendance Office. You must reapply and have 200 credits at the beginning of the spring semester.

VOLUNTARY SATURDAY SCHOOL PROGRAM

The Attendance Committee recognizes the need to allow an alternative attendance. We hope that parents will be proactive in their student’s attendance and take the responsibility to clear absences as they occur. The purpose of voluntary Saturday School is to allow students with all-day absences to engage in instruction on a Saturday in order to reduce their number of absences. Eligible types of absences to be reduced are any unverified, all-day type. Suspensions, confirmed truancies, and period absences may not be reduced through this program.

  1. The student must sign up for the program by no later than the Thursday, 3PM, prior to
  2. the Saturday school date. Parent permission by writing or verbal contact is needed for the student to attend voluntary Saturday school.
  3. The Saturday school teacher will monitor the progress of the students who are voluntarily attending.
  4. The Saturday school teacher will have the final decision as to whether the student receives credit for the day or no credit. This decision will be based upon the amount of work completed by the student. A student may be dismissed from Saturday school, with the loss of credit, due to inappropriate behavior.
  5. The following Monday, the Saturday school teacher will deliver to the administrator over the program a list of students who received credit for voluntary Saturday school.
  6. Upon successful completion of the Saturday, school the student will have one full-day of unverified absence re-coded in the computer attendance files to represent attendance to a voluntary Saturday program. This absence will now be considered excused.

LEGAL ABSENCES

Under §48205 of the California Education Code, a pupil may be legally excused from school when an absence or tardy is:

  1. Due to his or her illness.
  2. Due to quarantine.
  3. For the purpose of having medical, dental, optometric, or chiropractic services rendered.
  4. For the purpose of attending the funeral services of an immediate family member.
  5. For the purpose of jury duty.
  6. Due to illness or medical appointment of a child of whom the pupil is the custodial parent.
  7. For justifiable personal reasons, including, but not limited to, an appearance in court, attendance at a funeral service, observance of a holiday or ceremony of his or her religion, attendance at religious retreats, or attendance at an employment conference,
  8. When the pupil’s absence has been requested in writing by the parent or guardian and approved by the principal or designated representative pursuant to uniform standards established by the governing board.

TRUANCY AND DAYTIME LOITERING, VIOLATIONS, FINES

1st Violation: Possible Citation, Community Service, referred to Probation and/or possible fine.

2nd Violation: Undisclosed Fine

3rd Violation: Undisclosed Fine

HIGHLAND HIGH SCHOOL TARDY EXPECTATIONS

Our expectation is to have the students in class for the entirety of their class period to receive the maximum amount of instruction. This will take a school-wide commitment from all students and staff.

  • When a student is tardy, he/she will stay in class and will be marked TARDY by the teacher on record, for their attendance.
  • Once the student has multiple tardies (3), parent contact may be made to get parent support. If the student is in a sport, the coach may be contacted for additional support.
  • A dialer message will go to the family. This will be automatic and will be generated from the district.
  • When the student is tardy for the 10th time, he/she will be referred to the Vice Principal for discipline.
  • If the student continues to be tardy (every 5 tardies thereafter), he/she will continually be referred to the Vice Principal and he/she will work with the CAW to further the SART/SARB, citation, or suspension process.

STUDENT EXPECTATIONS

Students are expected to be on time to each and every class. If tardy, student is expected to enter class quietly and be seated. If door is locked, the student is to wait by the door until let in the class or escorted by security. If caught in a tardy sweep, students are to comply with security and proceed to the designated tardy sweep area. Students are expected to remain quiet and receptive to the documented consequences. Defiance with security will result in a referral to administration and further disciplinary actions.

TEACHER EXPECTATIONS

For tardy sweep periods, teachers are expected to lock their doors and not allow students in or out of their class after the bell rings. In the rare incident when a teacher needs to send a student out of class, they will do so with an official school pass. Teachers are not to allow students to leave class during the first and last 15 minutes of the class period unless it is an emergency. Teachers will report habitual tardies per the tardy policy.

SECURITY EXPECTATIONS

Security personnel are expected to encourage students to get to class on time, gather tardy students for the tardy sweep, and check roaming students after the bell for passes. In the event a student does not have a pass, security will escort the student to class (which will serve as a reminder for teachers and students to utilize on-campus passes). Security will refer students to administration for defiance if students do not comply with the police or their directives.

ADMINISTRATION EXPECTATIONS

Administration will greet the students before and after school, along with being visible and encouraging students to get to class during snack and lunch passing periods. Administration will assist in tardy sweeps. Administrators will be cohesive and steadfast in providing discipline to students who have been referred for continual tardiness or defiance. Administration, in conjunction with the CAW, will review attendance of each student referred for discipline. Administration will be responsible for handling parental concerns, offering site feedback, and communicating the tardy policy and tardy sweeps with the staff.

WITHDRAWAL PROCESS

  1. The parent/guardian (with proper I.D.) needs to come to the Attendance Office between 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. to withdraw student.
  2. The parent/guardian completes a withdrawal form.
  3. The parent/student must return textbooks, library books, uniforms and athletic equipment and pay all outstanding charges and fines owed to the school.