ATTENDANCE REGULATIONS
It is the student's responsibility to clear absences with teachers and with the Attendance Office. Absences must be cleared within three days. If not, they automatically become unexcused absences. Handwritten notes from the parent or guardian are required to clear all absences. When a student returns to school after an absence, notes must be presented at the Attendance Office. The Attendance Office is located in the Main Office in Building 100.
Parents will be notified of absences with our Auto Dialer System. The first call is placed on the day of the absence. The second call is a 48-hournotice. After 72 hours, the absence will no longer be cleared and will have to be made up in detention or Saturday School.
The following categories of absence will be applied:
#1. (I) Excused absence due to illness, medical, or dental appointment. This is the only category for which the student can make up missed work. All other absences require the student to obtain a contract independent study form from the Attendance Office.
#2. (E) Excused absence for personal reasons. Citizenship will not be penalized for these reasons. Teachers will provide an opportunity for the student to make up missed work.
#3. (U) Unexcused absence with the knowledge of parents but for reasons not approved by the district. The responsibility for the make-up of missed work, if granted by the teacher, rests entirely with the student.
# 4. (Z) TRUANT is an absence not approved by the parents or the school. Teachers may require work to be made up but need not grant student requests for permission to make up work. Other penalties may be imposed for truancy and citizenship may be affected. *Absolutely no student is to be off campus without signing out of school at the Attendance Office via a blue slip form.
EXCESSIVE ABSENCES DUE TO ILLNESS: As stated in the district's Administrative Procedure 6150, and as recommended by the District Medical Consultant, if a student misses any five school days in a four-week period due to illness, a written verification of illness must be provided by a doctor or dentist. If the student has an underlying health condition, the nurse needs to be notified to assist the parent with meeting the student's needs at school. The nurse can be contacted at 858-302-3600 ext. 2208.
Truancy Policy
Leaving school grounds without a blue slip is a truancy which cannot be cleared. School initiated absences (i.e. field trips, athletic events, etc.) will be considered excused if approved by the teacher and administration. Medical and dental appointments, except in emergencies, should be made 24 hours in advance and made for after school hours. The only legal way for a student to leave the school grounds at any time during the school day is to secure a blue off-grounds pass, issued by a school official. Students must bring a note to the office before school or during lunch to obtain a blue slip.
Multiple period or all day unexcused absences will result in the assignment of Saturday School by the Attendance Coordinator, Counselor or Vice Principal. Students with non-cleared absences may not be allowed to participate in specified school activities for the semester in which they occur. "THERE IS NO "SENIOR DITCH DAY".
Students' access to the parking lot is limited to before and after school. The parking lot is off limits at any other time during the school day.
TARDINESS POLICY
Mira Mesa High School has created a school tardy policy in order to reduce the number of students who are tardy to their classes. Tardiness takes away from the educational process for both the tardy student and the rest of the class due to the disruption that late students cause. This is a school-wide policy. Students may have citizenship grades lowered due to excessive tardiness. Each teacher will provide students with a copy of their expectations and course requirements.
The Attendance Office will not accept parents' excuses for tardiness other than those of a medical or legal reason. Oversleeping, transportation problems, or personal excuses cannot be accepted. Students arriving 30 minutes late for class will be recorded as an UNEXCUSED ABSENCE and if not cleared, a period truancy will be recorded and Saturday School will be assigned.
DISCIPLINE PROCEDURE: When a student is tardy he/she is to report directly to class. The teacher will inform the student of the tardiness and assign the detention. One tardy equals 30 minutes of detention; one period truancy equals one hour of detention. Detentions must be served with the teacher with whom the infraction occurred. Students may be requested to serve detention for a tardy on the same day the infraction occurred. Administrators, Counselors, or the Attendance Coordinator may also assign Saturday School for tardiness. Students may have the option to help clean the campus by picking up trash in lieu of serving Saturday School.
The following procedures start over at the beginning of each semester:
First Tardy. The teacher will hold a conference with the student and find out why they are late to class. Student is warned about not being late and told what will happen if there is a second tardy.
Second Tardy. The teacher will contact home and make the parent/guardian aware of the problem. After the contact, the teacher will assign the student a30-minute detention after school.
Third Tardy. The teacher will continue to assign detention having a student serve with them. Citizenship grade will be lowered.
Fourth Tardy. The teacher will continue to assign detention having a student serve with them. Citizenship grade will be lowered.
Fifth Tardy. The teacher will send a referral to the student's counselor describing interventions and contacts made regarding the problem. The counselor will assign Saturday School.
Subsequent tardies will be referred to the Vice Principal. Habitual tardies and defiance of school rules may require looking at an alternate school placement. Students with non-cleared tardies may not be allowed to participate in specific activities, i.e. dances, pep rallies, etc.
M6 (Saturday School) is provided to all students who desire additional academic support and students needing to clear attendance. With most M6 weekends, the site will have a certified English, math, science or history instructor on campus to assist in tutoring/instruction. In addition to core classroom support, additional opportunities to expand student knowledge may include classes in Art, cooking, study preparation for the SAT/ACT, and physical education.
In order to receive credit for attending M6 the following conditions must be met:
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Students must report on time for each day of the assignment.
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No commitments should stand in the way of student attendance unless cleared by the Attendance Coordinator or Vice Principal
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Parents must notify the school if illness prevented the student from attending.
CHANGE OF ADDRESS: If your last name, street address, telephone number, or parent/guardian changes at any time during the school year, please notify the attendance office immediately. This is very important in keeping our records up to date and also to contact a parent or guardian in case of an emergency. By law, it is the responsibility of the parent to maintain accurate information on file at school