Attendance Policies and Procedures
Absences
Parents must report all student absences to the Attendance Office. Absences MUST be cleared within 48 hours. Absences not verified by the parent/guardian within the 48-hour timeframe become truant and result in placement into a Warrior Weekend activity. Absences may be verified by parent/guardian in the following ways:
Preferred Methods
1. Email the attendance office at: WHSAttendance@tusd.org
2. Submit a written NOTE to the attendance office upon student's return to school.
ALL Absence verifications MUST include:
Student’s LEGAL name
Date of Absence(s)
Reason for Absence
Parent/Guardian Signature (for written note)
Absences will be excused for reasons listed in CA ED CODE 48205: illness, quarantine, medical appointments with an accompanying doctor’s note, bereavement for immediate family member and jury duty. All other reasons are unexcused unless prior written approval is given from an administrator.
PLEASE NOTE: If you notified the attendance office (within 48 hours) of an absence and see a “U” posted, the absence is considered “CLEARED” and will not go truant.
We encourage parents and students to regularly check attendance records in PowerSchool.
We encourage students to have their ID card with them on campus at all times.
OFF-CAMPUS PASSES
MUST BE REQUESTED BY 8:30AM
Students needing to leave campus during regular school hours MUST obtain an off-campus pass from the Attendance Office. Off-Campus passes will only be issued after the Attendance Office verifies the parent request by contacting them on the telephone number on file in PowerSchool. To request an off-campus pass, parents must send an email to whsattendance@tusd.org or send a note with their student to the attendance office by 8:30AM with the following information:
Date
Dismissal Time
Student ID Number
Student Legal Name
Reason for Leaving School
Parent Signature
Parents/Legal Guardians: Please be aware, any student leaving school without prior approval and an “Off-Campus Pass” (including student-athletes leaving 6th period for appointments) will be issued a “truant.”
Illness at School
If a student becomes ill at school, they must notify their teacher and a pass to the health office will be issued. Parents will be contacted by the health office before a student can be released.
Students who have had a communicable disease (i.e. pink eye, mononucleosis, chicken pox, etc.) must check with the school nurse before being readmitted to class.
We thank you for your support of these attendance procedures & policies
Attendance Policies
The purpose of this section on our school website is to outline the state mandates and our district and school policies as related to school attendance.
Students /Absences and Excuses (Torrance USD -BP 5113)
The Board of Education believes that regular attendance plays an important role in student achievement. The Board shall work with parents/guardians and students to ensure their compliance with all state attendance laws, and may use appropriate legal means to correct problems of chronic absence or truancy.
Absence from school shall be excused only for health reasons, family emergencies, and justifiable personal reasons, as permitted by law, Board policy, and administrative regulations. (Education Code 46010, 48216, 48205)
Inasmuch as class participation is an integral part of students’ learning experiences, parents/guardians and students shall be encouraged to schedule medical appointments during non-school hours.
SHORT/LONG-TERM ABSENCES
If your student plans to be absent for more than 3 consecutive days, they may be eligible for an independent study contract which can be request through the counseling office (ext. 7613).
If a student misses class without a valid reason and does not subsequently turn in homework, take a test, or fulfill another class requirement that he/she missed, the teacher may lower the students’ grade for non-performance. (cf. 6154 – Homework/Makeup Work).
Parental Notifications (cf. 5145.6)
Students shall not be absent from school without their parents/guardians’ knowledge or consent except in cases of medical emergency or confidential medical appointment.
Student absence for religious instruction or participation in religious exercises away from school property may be considered excused subject to law and administrative regulations. (Education Code 46014)
The Board shall approve reasonable methods that may be used to verify student absences due to illness or quarantine. (5 CCR 421)
Effect of Absence on Grades/Credits
If a student misses class without an excuse and does not subsequently turn in homework, take a test or fulfill another class requirement that he/she missed, the teacher may lower the student's grade for nonperformance.(cf. 6154 - Homework/Makeup Work)
Closed Campus (Torrance USD BP 5112.5)
In order to keep students in a supervised, safe and orderly environment, the Board of Education establishes a closed campus at all District schools.
Students shall not leave the school grounds at any time during the school day without written permission of their parents/guardians and school authorities. Students who leave school without authorization shall be classified truant and subject to disciplinary action. (cf. 5113 - Absences and Excuses)
IMPORTANT: POWERSCHOOL ATTENDANCE CODES
Attendance is documented each day with the following attendance codes:
A = Absence, needs to be cleared within 48 hours
L = Tardy to class, 30+ minutes late
E = Excused, cleared, and verified absence; illness and injuries, bereavement, religious observance and court appointments with a note.
U = Cleared and verified absence (will not go truant); any appointments without notes; personal reason, family emergency, family visit, family travel, part-time work, military, DMV, Local/State/Federal Office Appt., non-WHS activities such as scholarship awards and college visits.
D = Excused, cleared and verified absence; doctor, dentist, or eye appointment with a medical note
T = Truant, Missing from a class period without a valid excuse. Truancy is an unauthorized absence from school for any part of the school day missed. Students will receive a truant if they leave campus without an Off-Campus Pass.
IF YOU HAVE A 6TH PERIOD SPORT
A 6th period SPORT IS A CLASS. When you use the “athletic” sticker on your ID to leave campus, you are expected to attend the athletic class. If you are not going to attend, you must obtain an Off-Campus Pass (OCP) even if you have made prior arrangements with your coach.
Leaving campus and then not attending your sport’s class will result in a “WALK-OFF TRUANCY” and may lead to a disciplinary consequence.
TARDY POLICY
Promptness in reporting to school and to the classroom is vital to the efficient operation of the school and the individual class. Any student who is not in his/her class when the bell rings, is tardy. Four tardies will result in an unsatisfactory citizenship grade for the class at the quarter. Repeated tardiness will result in a disciplinary consequence and/or a referral to SART (School Attendance Review Team) and SARB (School Attendance Review Board).
Independent Study Contracts (IS)
If your student will be absent for 5 or more consecutive days, they may be eligible for an independent study contract which can be requested through the Counseling Office (ext. 7613).
Instructions:
- Parent submits a request to Counseling Office indicating the reason for Independent Study. All requests require pre-approved by an Assistant Principal.
- Once approved, the student obtains the IS contract from the Counseling Office and takes the contract to each of his/her teachers to fill-in and sign the Independent Course of Study attachment for work to be completed during the extended absence.
- Next, the student and parent MUST sign and date the contract and return a COMPLETE copy to the counseling office for it to take effect.
- Upon returning back to school, the student must finalize the contract with each teacher by submitting contract coursework and obtaining teacher verification of completion.
- Students must submit a copy of all IS coursework as well as the original contract back to the Counseling Office. Please note, copies of student work will not be prepared by the Counseling Office.
- Students who do not meet the necessary requirements/ deadlines will receive no credit grade on classroom/homework assignments and a “U” (unexcused absence) on their attendance record for the duration of his/her absence while on IS.