Attendance

Absences

Illness:  If your student is ill, parents are expected to call the school office at 423-4200 before 8:15 on the first and each successive day of the absence to let us know that your child will not be in school.  For your children's safety, our office staff must verify the whereabouts of the absent children, and will need to reach you if you have not called in.  The office is open between 8 a.m. and 3:30 PM. each day, Monday through Friday.  There are some Wednesday when the office is closed at 2:00 PM due to meetings off campus. Children should not be sent to school if they are feeling ill or have had a fever within the past 24 hours.  Most days we do not have a nurse on campus.  ALL ABSENCES MUST BE CLEARED WITHIN 48 HOURS OF ABSENCE.  If your child is absent or sent home during the day due to illness they will need to remain at home and will not be able to attend any activity or functions being held at school that afternoon or evening. 

Out of Town

If your child will not be attending school due to an out of town absence a note must be given to the principal two weeks prior to the date of absence.  If your child will be missing ten days of school you will need to come into the office to sign a form. If your child is attending Sutter under the Open Enrollment Policy, six unexcused absences or more, your child will be disenrolled and must return to his/her home school.

Truancy

Under state regulations, a student absent three times without being excused or late three times in excess of thirty minutes is considered truant.  (Note: The state allows only medical/dental appointments and illness as excused tardies.) If the truancy is not corrected, referral will be made to the School Attendance Review Team (SART), and then if necessary to the Santa Clara Unified School District's School Attendance Review Board (SARB) and Truancy Court.  For children to receive full benefit of their education at Sutter, it is necessary for them to be in school daily, and ready to work when class begins at 8:15 a.m.  Please help us to instill good habits in your child.

Appointments

We encourage you to make appointments for your children outside regular school hours if at all possible.  If it is necessary for you to remove your child from school, please come first to the office to sign out your child.  The child must be signed out by an adult (parent or someone authorized on the emergency card) and signed back in upon arrival. 

Homework during absences

Requests for homework may be made as per teacher policy.  Please leave a verbal request on the attendance answering machine or with the office staff before 8:15 a.m.  Homework may be picked up in the school office.

Physical Education Instruction

Students will be excused from participation only with a written excused note from a parent for one day.  Further days will need to have a doctor's written note.