Sick students should stay at home. What constitutes a sick day? That varies from household to household. We respect and honor your parenting instincts for sick days. We do want to share some frequently asked questions and interesting facts that we ask that you consider:

1- What are some examples of sick days that would make a school send a student home? Fever, vomiting, or diarrhea.

2- What can I do to make sure my student does not fall behind with school if they are sick? Ask the teacher for missing work to complete. There is no guarantee for make up work if absences are unexcused.

3- Isn't attendance just about money? No, poor attendance can influence whether children read proficiently by the end of third grade. Poor attendance can be an influence on children being retained, or not able to get special services. The leading indicator that students will drop out of high school is 6th grade Chronic Absences. Students have a harder time catching up when they miss a lot of school. 

4- What is "Chronically Absent"? Students in MCSD who miss 14 or more days are considered Chronically Absent. 

5- Does it matter if the days were excused? The impact of missing school 18 days of the year is the same whether the absences are excused or unexcused. 

6- Why do I get letters in the mail? Our policy is to send out letters at 5 and 7 days of absences. At 10 days of absences we schedule a conference to assist in understanding California guidelines and help families find resources to help get students to school. At 15 days the Student Resource Officer, or an administrator will make a home visit to ensure supports for families. At 20 days of absences cases are referred out to the Student Attendance Review Board.

7- What is a truancy? According to the California Department of Education (retrieved 6/5/2017 at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/ai/tr/), "The California Legislature defined a truant in very precise language. In summary, it states that a student missing more than 30 minutes of instruction without an excuse three times during the school year must be classified as a truant and reported to the proper school authority.The California Legislature defined a truant in very precise language. In summary, it states that a student missing more than 30 minutes of instruction without an excuse three times during the school year must be classified as a truant and reported to the proper school authority." It is easy to avoid a truancy by notifying a school when your child is absent.

Finally, if we work together, student success is greater. We want to help families, not hurt families. If you have a need, questions, or concerns just give us a call. Our Attendance Officer is Mrs. Ramirez and she can be reached at 385-6627