About Us

A Small School with a Big Heart

Junipero Serra Elementary School is a small public K-5 school located across from Holly Park in San Francisco's Bernal Heights neighborhood. Our intimate community of approximately 300 students offers a warm setting where children grow and develop. The school offers both bilingual and general education programs. We encourage families’ connection to the school and to each other through all-school activities, evening events, parent workshops and PTA fundraisers. We are proud of our diverse school population, and our focus on building relationships.

La Escuela Primaria Junípero Serra es una pequeña escuela pública K-5 con ubicada al lado de Holly Park en San Francisco en el barrio de Bernal Heights. Nuestra íntima comunidad de aproximadamente 300 estudiantes ofrece un ambiente amigable donde los niños crecen y se desarrollan. La escuela ofrece programas de educación bilingüe y general. Alentamos a las familias se conecten con la escuela a través de todas las actividades escolares, eventos en las noches, talleres para padres y recaudando fondos para la PTA. Estamos orgullosos de nuestra diversa población estudiantil, y en nuestro enfoque de establecer buenas relaciones.

 

MISSION STATEMENT / DECLARACIÓN DE MISIÓN

Students will acquire a well-rounded educational foundation necessary for success in life. Students will be supported as they develop a sense of responsibility and pride in their cultural heritage and their achievements. A strong caring school community will work together towards the academic success of all students.

Los alumnos adquirirán una base educacional completa necesaria para el éxito en la vida. Los estudiantes serán apoyados a medida que desarrollan un sentido de responsabilidad, orgullo por su patrimonio cultural y sus logros. Una gran comunidad escolar trabajarán juntos para lograr el éxito académico de todos los estudiantes.

What to do if your child is Absent

• If your child is going to be absent, an adult must call to let the office know they are sick or why they are out.
• The office number is 415-695-5685
• If you get the voicemail, leave your child's name, their room # and the reason they are out.
• If they are out more than one day, you must call each day.
• When they return to school, send a note from home with the dates they were absent and the reason, signed by an adult.

 

What to do if your child is a Late Tardy

• School begins at 8:25 am.
• If you arrive AFTER 8:25 am, your child will be marked tardy. Attendance is taken at 8:25 a.m..
• A late tardy is when your child is 1-29 minutes late.
• Late tardies must report to the main office to get a late tardy slip before going to their classroom. Tardy slips are given to the classroom teacher. 
• A child must be present in order to receive a late tardy slip.

 

Truancy Notice will be sent after 3 Unexcused absences

• A truant tardy is when a student is 30 or more minutes late for school.
• A truant tardy counts as an unexcused absence. These count towards a truancy notice.
• Three unexcused absences will cause the system to send out a truancy notice.
• When you get this first letter, please contact the office, 415-695-5685.

 

If your child accumulates any additional unexcused absences, a second truancy notice will be sent out and you will be asked to talk to our Attendance Team. Their job is to help find ways to help you get your child to school. You will be asked to sign a contract that you and the team are working to improve your child's attendance.

 

If there are no improvements and/or you do not sign a contract, a third truancy letter will be sent out. At this time, a Student Attendance Referral Board (SARB) hearing will be held at the SFUSD Pupil Services department.

 

What is an Excused Tardy

An excused tardy is when a student is late due to a doctor appointment, the school bus arriving late, being in an accident.

 

What is an Unexcused Tardy?

An unexcused tardy is oversleeping, doing your hair, car breaking down, mom or dad going to the doctor.

It is important to be on time because your child misses out on learning time when they are late and it is unsettling to arrive at school to find everyone else already working and not know what is going on. The other is that students set their pattern of attendance now, so a pattern of tardies can continue in middle and high school, not to mention the work place.

 

If You Get a Call That Your Child is Absent

If you get the automated phone call telling you your child is absent, this means we have your child marked as an unexcused absence.

 

If your child is NOT absent, please call to let us know! This will change their absence to either a tardy or present. It could be that the student showed up just after the attendance was taken and they didn't get marked tardy, that they did not get a tardy pass, or the teacher or office may have made a mistake but in any case, please do let us know.

 

If your child is absent, please do call and let us know why they are absent - if they are sick or have a doctor's appointment, this will change their absence to an excused absence. If your child is absent and you already wrote a note or called it in, please call us again, we do occasionally make mistakes.