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Please do not schedule family vacation times for when school is in session.  Daily school attendance is important for many reasons.  The instruction a student misses with his/her classroom community can never be made up.  Even if the written work is completed, student learning is compromised.  In addition, Mesa loses $42 for each day each child misses school, whether or not the absence is excused.  We appreciate your support in getting students to school each day since it demonstrates to your child that school is important – a positive attitude for students to develop.

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Reporting an Absence

To clear an absence, please do ONE of the following:

• Call our office at (805) 485-1411.
• send a note to the office with your child

Please don’t forget to include the following in your message or note:

• Child’s full name
• Date of absence
• Specific nature of the absence (illness, vacation, funeral, etc.)
• Your relationship to the student
• Please sign and date all notes

It is important to clear an absence within 72 hours. After three unexcused absences, a child can be declared truant. A total of 10 days absence per year is considered excessive. Our office will mail absence letters to remind parents if absences are excessive as part of our “Every Day Counts” program.

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Tardiness

School begins at 8:25am.  Students who arrive at school after the bell rings are considered tardy.  If a parent cannot escort the student to the office, a note from the parent is required with a valid excuse.

Promptness is very important since students miss valuable directions and instruction.  They are then at a real disadvantage. Furthermore, when they enter the class late, it disturbs the learning environment for other students.

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Early Release from School

Students who must leave school during the regular day should have a note from the parent indicating the time the child is to be excused and the reason.  The parent or designee on the emergency card must pick the student up from the office, where they will be asked to sign a register and to show identification if unknown.  Parents may not pick a child up from the classroom.  It is our school policy to not release children to anyone other than the parent, guardian, or other previously authorized persons designated on the emergency card or via a note written on the particular day of release.