Absences
When absent, a parent/guardian will need to call the school (457-3450) to clear the absence. They may leave a message on the recorder if they call after office hours.
Absence classifications. There are four different classifications of absences:
- Excused absence – sickness, accident, and death in the immediate family, medical/dental appointments, and other emergencies authorized by the education code.
- Unexcused absence – out-of-town, needed at home, car trouble, or leaving school without proper clearance.
- Truancy – absence without the knowledge or consent of the parent/guardian.
- Class Cut – when the student does not attend class or leaves class without permission.
Class Cutting/Out of class without permission. The safety and success of all students rely on students remaining in their assigned class during the assigned time. When students leave class without permission or cut class, it affects their learning and it presents a safety issue. Students that leave class without permission will be asked to return to class and will be escorted back to class by a staff member. Students with class cuts will receive corrective consequences as per the teacher’s classroom management plan and/or administrator direction. If a student refuses the direction of a staff member and does not return to class, parents will be contacted for student pick-up and/or be required to come to school to escort their student to their classes.
Absences for Appointments
If a student has an appointment during the school day, please adhere to the following:
- Report to the front office to request that your student be released from class prior to the appointment. Please allow for at least 15 minutes for the student to be retrieved from class.
- When returning from an appointment, the student must check in with the attendance registrar and present the appropriate documentation.
- Students will only be released to individuals that are listed on the student’s emergency card. Be prepared to show ID. This is for the safety of the students.
Tardy Policy
Being on time is a key attribute of workplace readiness. Students are expected to be on time to class every day. When a student is tardy, the student will be marked tardy by their teacher and/or the attendance secretary. The tardy will then be marked as “Excused” or “Unexcused.”
- Excused Tardy – If a student is late to school because of illness, medical, or dental appointment, etc., they are required to bring a note. If a note is not available, the parent must call or accompany the student to the office for admittance to class. If the student is tardy due to a delayed school bus the student will receive an excused tardy pass and be sent to class immediately.
- Unexcused Tardy – If a student is late to school or to class for any other reason, it is recorded as an unexcused tardy. Students with excessive tardiness will receive corrective consequences as per the teacher’s classroom management plan and/or administrator direction.
SARB and Truancy
Yosemite Middle School adheres to the attendance expectations set forth in the California Education Code and the Fresno Unified Board Policies (E.C. 48260-48273; B.P. 5113.1). Therefore, students that are chronically absent or habitually truant will be subject to interventions and possible consequences per the School Attendance Review Board (SARB) process.
Requests for Homework
If the student is ill for three or more school days, the parent/guardian may request assignments through the office or by emailing the student’s teachers. If the student’s illness lasts for an extended amount of time, they may be eligible for home instruction. For more information regarding home instruction, please contact the YMS School Nurse.