DO call the attendance office hotline (485-4845) each and every day, before 11:00 a.m., that your student is absent from school. The following school day, the student must check the attendance office window for a list of students who need a readmit BEFORE going to their first period class or receive a Saturday School. TEN absences are considered excessive, unless a doctor’s note on official letterhead with the student’s name and date of absences is provided. The attendance office hotline is accessible to voice mail 24 hours a day.

DO be specific when reporting an absence – for example, illness, doctor, dental, court, funeral (please give relationship of deceased to the student and the state where the funeral is being held – sorry, but this is required by the state for funding purposes), personal business, etc. If you do not give a reason we will assume it is personal.

DO call if the student is going to be late and remind them to check in at the attendance office windows as soon as they arrive on campus, even if it is between classes or at break or at lunch time. The seriousness of tardiness is recognized in the State Education Code and can result in removal from class with loss of credit or suspension from school. SIX tardies are considered excessive and will result in disciplinary action unless a doctor’s note on official letterhead with the student’s name and date of absences is provided.

DO try to schedule appointments after school hours. Students arriving late to class or leaving class early disrupt the classroom. If your student must leave campus early (including 6 ½ period), call the night before or as early in the day as possible to let us know so that the student can pick up their off campus pass before going to class. It is the STUDENT’S responsibility to pick up their off campus pass at the attendance office windows before school, at break or at lunch, we do not interrupt the classrooms to deliver the passes! If a student leaves campus without a pass, it is considered a truancy and cannot be excused by a parent/guardian. Be sure to include the student’s name, grade, what time they need to be released, why they are leaving, if they will return to school, your name and relationship to the student and a number where you can be reached during the day. If you cannot call and choose to come to the office to pick up your student, allow plenty of time for us to get the student out of class. Classes are not always in the assigned classrooms, or if the student is in a P.E. class he/she will need time to change clothing. It is always best to call first.

DO call anytime you have questions. If you cannot reach us immediately, leave your name and phone number and one of us will call you back as soon as possible.

DO call the same day if your senior student leaves campus on a lunch pass and does not return after lunch. If a call is not received the same day, the absence is considered a truancy and cannot be excused after the fact.

DON’T forget to report your student absent as soon in the day as possible. If we don’t hear from you we will attempt to contact you at work or at home, TIME PERMITTING. Failure to report your student absent will necessitate your student needing a readmit for classes upon return to school. Students who report to class without their readmit and then are sent to the attendance office by the teacher for a readmit will automatically receive a Friday School. It is the STUDENT’S responsibility to check the list at the attendance office windows to see if they need a readmit before going to class.

DON’T forget to speak directly into the mouthpiece of the phone as clearly and slowly as possible. It is helpful if you spell the student’s first and last names. Due to assorted background noises, it is sometimes very difficult to determine which student is being reported absent.

DON’T lose your patience. Rancho Bernardo High School has an enrollment of approximately 2,600 students. The attendance office is staffed by only 2 employees this year. We try to assist everyone in as timely a manner as we possibly can, but students always come first!

DON’T ask the attendance office personnel to deliver forgotten homework assignments, books, lunches, lunch money, or messages, etc. Again, this is an interruption of the classroom!

DON’T be out of class without a hall pass! If you come to the office without a hall pass, you will be sent back to class to get one.