Attendance

Reporting Student Absences

The parent/caregiver is responsible for ensuring their child gets to school daily. 

If a student will remain at home, the parent/ guardian/caregiver must communicate with the school in one of the following ways before or on the day of the absence:

• Submit an absence notification via ParentVue (Instructions)*
• Email to attendance clerk (Starlette Jones, JonesS@sfusd.edu )
• Written note
• Phone call  (415-695-5656)

(*After an absence you will not be able to report an absence through ParentVue and must email, use the school form: if available, call, or send a note with your student.)

In all communications with the school regarding a student's absence please provide the following:

• Your name and identify yourself as the parent/guardian/caregiver of the student
• Student’s name
• Date(s) of the absence(s)
• Reason for the absence
• Signature of a parent/caregiver and current date  (if a written note)

We encourage parents/guardians/caregivers to review their student's attendance record regularly and communicate any discrepancies to the school. 

Students and Families can learn more about SFUSD Attendance policies in the Student and Family Handbook. 

Other Attendance Protocols

As much as possible, we want our students on time and in school from the beginning of the school day to the end.  Every minute of instruction counts and even missing 30 minutes here and there can have a big impact on their education and their sense of belonging at school! However, we do understand that sometimes they will be out. More attendance protocols:

1. Tardies: If your child is late to school, please make sure to stop at the office so they can get a tardy pass to give to their teacher.
2. Absences:  As mentioned above, if your child needs to be absent, please call or email Ms. Starlette at (415) 695-5656 or JonesS@sfusd.edu 
   1. Excused Absences: 
      1. Illness 
      2. Family Emergency 
      3. Funeral 
      4. Dental/Doctor’s appointments 
      5. Cultural/Religious Events 
   2. Unexcused absences: 
      1. Grades K-5: Missing a full day of school, being tardy 30 or more minutes for a reason other than what is listed above. 
      2. Grades 6-8: Missing a full day of school, a class period, or being tardy 30 or more minutes within any class period of the school day for a reason other than what is listed above
      3. Please note that vacations, even if you have given the school notice, are not excused absences.  
   3. Truancy Letters: 
      1. The district will automatically send a truancy letter to the email/address on synergy for every 3 unexcused absences a student has. 
         1. If the absences should be excused, please contact Ms. Starlette to clear it up, but please note that chronic absenteeism includes both excused AND unexcused absences.  
3. Early Pick Ups: Please avoid picking up early as much as possible as it is disruptive to your child's learning and to school operations. However, if you do need to pick up early:  
   1. Please come into the office and sign out your child. School staff will locate your child once you are in the office. Please do not call ahead of time to ask that students be sent down early. 
   2. Please understand that sometimes it may take some time to locate students because they may be outside the classroom  at Library, PE, lunch or at recess and every classroom has a slightly different schedule.  
   3. Please note that requests for pickups within the last 10 minutes of the school day may not be granted and instead you will be directed to the yard students are dismissing from.  

Thank you for your partnership in having our students in class learning every day and all day!