Attendance

Email Attendance: kena.camarena@venturausd.org nicole.hofferbert@venturausd.org

Foothill Technology High School
ATTENDANCE INFORMATION

Foothill Technology High School staff and students work together to create an atmosphere of accountability and responsibility. Every student will make choices that demonstrate the values of accountability and prompt, consistent attendance. The FTHS policy is intended to promote attendance in class as the highest priority.

The primary responsibility of the student is to be in class to maximize their opportunities for success. Excessive tardiness and absences have a direct correlation to poor student performance and are detrimental to the learning environment. Parents/guardians, students, teachers and administrators all have shared responsibility to ensure that a quality education is priority. The FTHS attendance policy is directed toward achieving that goal.

Parent/Guardian Responsibilities and Information

Make sure your student is in school and on time.
When your student is absent from school you may:

Write a note excusing your student’s absence or
Call in your student’s absences to our 24 hour phone line at 289-0023 ext. 1002 OR
E-mail your student’s excuse to kena.camarena@venturausd.org OR nicole.hofferbert@venturausd.org

Parents/Guardians may review their student’s attendance online.
Q Parent Connection passwords may be obtained from the school district’s website by clicking on the Parents tab.

Attendance Information

Absences

Absences: A parent/guardian may clear a student absence by providing the following information: student name, date, reason for absence, date of absence, signature on note or name of caller, and relationship. Absences must be cleared within 3 days of the occurrence. If a teacher has made a clerical error, the student needs to contact the Attendance Office within 3 days to get an Absence Clearance form.

Excused absences include: Illness, medical/dental appointments, court subpoena, funeral services of an immediate family member, religious holiday.

Unexcused absences include: An absence with parent/guardian permission but for reasons not excusable by legal definition, i.e. family vacations or trips, visits to another high school, driving lessons/tests, employment, community service, etc.

Three or more days of unexcused absences or three unexcused tardies of more than 30 minutes in one school year, or any combination of the two, will result in the student being classified as a truant. Any further tardiness or unexcused absences will cause the student to be classified as a habitual truant. These classifications generate truancy letters and are entered in the student’s behavior record.

Tardies

Tardies: A student arriving at school more than 10 minutes late has already been marked absent by the teacher. The student must sign-in at the attendance counter before going to class. They will then receive a pass to class. Excused tardies may be cleared in the same manner as absences.

Unexcused tardies include: Oversleeping, car trouble, traffic, completing assignments, carpool problems, etc.

SEMESTER TARDY POLICY
Step 1 – Two tardies: Teacher counsels student.
Step 2 – Four tardies: Teacher notifies parent and assigns FIRE detention.
Step 3 – Six tardies: APs assign 2-day 30 min. lunch detention.
Step 4 – 12 tardies: APs assign 4-day 30 min. lunch detention.
Step 5 – 18 or more tardies: APs assign +2 days, 60 min. lunch detention. Progressive discipline will continue.

Vacations

Vacations taken when school is in session are unexcused.
Vacations should be planned to occur during regularly scheduled school breaks – Fall (Oct. 25 - Oct. 29), Thanksgiving (November 24 - 26), Winter (Dec 20 - Dec 31), Spring (April 4 - 8), Summer (after June 16).

Being out of school for reasons other than illness, bereavement in immediate family, medical appointment, religious observance or subpoena to court are counted as unexcused under the law.

Taking vacations during school days could result in your student being classified as a habitual truant, could result in your child being dropped from his class and school (if absent 10 days or more), and/or result in a referral to the School Attendance Review Board. This may lead to a citation and/or court. Good attendance is essential to school success.

Automated Phone Calling

When a student has an uncleared absence of one or more periods or is tardy to class, a call will be sent out with an automated phone message that evening. The school district phone system is scheduled to call between 5:50 – 6:00 p.m. each day to inform parents of the absence or tardy and to remind them of the need to clear the absences. If a call is believed to be in error, please have your student contact the attendance office for an Absence Clearance form.

Truancies

Off Campus Passes

No student may leave campus during their school day without checking out in the office. Whenever possible, it is suggested that student appointments be scheduled for hours outside of the school day. If it is necessary for a student to leave during the day, a parent/guardian should make arrangements with the school prior to the appointment time with either a signed note or a call to (805) 289-0023, stating the student’s name, time the student is to leave campus and the reason (if an appointment, please state what type, i.e. medical, dental, etc.), or a parent must come to the office personally to pick up the student. When leaving campus, the student or parent/guardian must sign out through the office and sign in when returning. Students leaving campus for any reason without prior permission are truant. Parents/Guardians: Please do not pick up your student without first notifying the office.

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