Attendance Guidelines


TUSTIN UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
Ladera Elementary School
Elementary Attendance and Tardy Procedures

Dear Parents:

The Board of Education believes that regular and punctual attendance in school is essential to a student’s success.  Absence from school is one of the greatest contributing factors to unsatisfactory schoolwork.  Pupils are required by law and Education Code 48260 to attend school punctually and regularly:  Any pupil subject to compulsory full-time education who is absent from school without valid excuse three days in one school year or tardy or absent for more than any 30-minute period during the school day without valid excuse on three occasions in one school year is a truant and shall be reported to the attendance supervisor or to the superintendent of the school district.

Regular attendance at school is important for every student for the following reasons:

  • Students need to be in class to learn.
  • The teaching-learning process builds on lessons previously taught.
  • Lessons often involve hands-on activities which cannot be duplicated with paper and pencil assignments outside of class.
  • Students who miss a day of school suffer because that day of instruction cannot be retrieved.
  • Students develop the habits of good attendance and punctuality for future careers.
  • School funding is dependent on student attendance.

Excused Absences (defined by school laws of the State of California) are absences for illness; medical, dental, or optometric appointments; or attendance at a funeral service for a family member.
Unexcused Absences are absences for any reason other than those listed as an excused absence.
Trips, Vacations, Family Business:  Students and their parents may request a Limited Independent Study when it is necessary for the family to be away from school because of a trip, vacation, or family business.  Independent Study is valid for not less than 5 school days but not more than 10 days per request, and limited to a total of 20 days per school year.  Limited Independent Study must be approved prior to the trip.
Consequences for Truancy or Absence:  On the student’s first day back to school after an absence, the student must bring a signed written note from his/her parent/guardian which lists the date of absence and specific reason for the absence.  In lieu of a written note, a parent/guardian may call the school office or e-mail the school secretary.  If a student continues to be absent after three days with no notification from the student’s parent/guardian, the school will call the student’s home.  Further monitoring includes:
   5 absences in one trimester        Letter sent home
   After 10 absences                      Letter sent/parent conference
   After 2 unexcused absences       Parent conference/letter notifying of possible referral to SARB
   After 3 unexcused absences       Referral to SARB (Student Attendance Review Board)

Sincerely,

Ryan Bollenbach
Principal

 

TUSD and Ladera Dress Code Standards

The Board of Education recognizes that school dress significantly influences student behavior. To facilitate and maintain an effective learning environment and to keep the focus of the classroom on learning and not fashion, schools are authorized to implement a school-wide uniform policy.
Dress Codes are established to promote a productive and safe instructional environment, demonstrate a positive direction away from drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and gangs, promote proper school etiquette, cultural awareness and respect for gender.  Students are expected to wear clothing that is clean, neat, appropriate, and safe.
The following dress standards shall be enforced:

Shirts/Tops

  • No tight/revealing shirts (undergarments showing, see-through, low-cut, etc.)
  • Undergarments must be worn at all times but not be visible
  • No bare midriff/crop tops (if skin shows when arms are raised shoulder height, top is too short)
  • No tank tops
  • No halter or swimwear tops
  • No tube tops

Pants/Shorts/Skirts

  • No short-shorts or micro-mini skirts
  • No excessively loose or baggy pants/shorts (pants/shorts may not exceed more than two sizes of the student’s actual size)
  • Pants/shorts must be worn at the waistline
  • Hems must be sewn; no frayed, split, or pinned legs
  • Pants may not drag on the ground
  • Pants/shorts may not allow undergarments to be exposed
  • No excessively long, untied, or dangling belts
  • Overall straps must be worn over the shoulders and buttoned

Footwear

      •   Footwear which is safe for school activities  must be worn at all times, no open-toed shoes

 

Gang-Related Attire

  • No oversized tan, gray, or black cotton work pants (pleats hand folded)
  • No metal belt buckles with engraving
  • No clothing with professional sports insignia/logo
  • No knit stocking caps except school spirit caps
  • No hairnets or wave caps
  • No bandannas
  • No red, blue, or green shoe laces
  • No monikers or other gang markings
  • No combat-style or steel-toed boots
  • No combination deemed gang-related by law enforcement agencies
  • No military uniforms
  • No trench coats

Dangerous Jewelry/Objects

  • No chains
  • No dangerous objects
  • No riveted dog collars or raised rings
  • No safety pins
  • No chains for wallets or jewelry apparel
  • No laser light pens

Other Inappropriate Attire
Clothing, apparel, and jewelry shall be free of writing, pictures, or any other insignia that is crude, vulgar, profane, demeaning, sexually suggestive, or which advocates or promotes racial, ethnic, religious, sexual prejudice or strife, or which pertains to the use of tobacco, drugs, or alcohol.

  • No sex/sexual comments/innuendoes
  • No drugs or references to drugs
  • No tobacco product names or trademarks
  • No liquor products, bar names or trademarks/logos
  • No depicting a person engaged in illegal activities
  • No sleep wear or slippers
  • No hats other than school authorized hats
  • No head covering indoors
  • No visible tattoos

Parent support encourages students to dress appropriately.  What is considered appropriate attire may change as fashion trends change.  Parents may call the school at any time for clarification prior to purchase of fad clothing for school attire.  If students attend school dressed inappropriately, parents will be called to bring a change of clothes to school for their child or asked to take their child home to change clothes.  Repeat violations will result in disciplinary action.
Site administrators may set dress standards for special school occasions or activities with prior notice to the students.

Ladera’s Current Educational Practice

The primary focus at Ladera Elementary is to implement curriculum that is standards driven and closely aligned with the most effective instructional practices and assessment measures.  Curriculum, instructional materials, and performance standards are aligned to content standards.

Appropriate standards based instructional materials and texts are available for all grade levels in all content areas except science.  Currently, instruction in science is largely kit driven with materials provided through a local grant.

Time and resources are dedicated to ensuring tat all teachers are knowledgeable in implementing the standards based curriculum.  Staff Development opportunities are aligned to the standards and are geared towards analyzing assessment data from the California Standards Tests, the CAT-6, publishers’ tests and the district’s reading and writing assessments.

Instructional strategies and materials used align to staff development standards, assessed student performance, and professional needs.

Delivery of instruction to English learners at all proficiency levels align to staff development standards, assessed student performance, and professional needs.  English Language Learners are placed in general education classrooms with CLAD credentialed teachers.  Ladera also has Newcomer Classes in which students who have been in the United States for less than one year have the opportunity to be placed in an English immersion class.

Services are provided by the regular program teacher to enable under-performing students to meet standards.  In order to meet the needs of “at risk” students, a Student Study Team is established, in which teachers, school professionals, and parents meet to discuss concerns of individual students.  Needs are assessed and strategies discussed.

The resource specialist and speech pathologists work in conjunction with the regular classroom teachers to provide services to each student’s learning needs.  Students identified as “at-risk” are worked with in the classroom in small group or one-on-one settings.

State and local assessments are used to modify instruction and improve student achievement.  Various teacher and publisher created assessments are administered throughout the course of the year in all areas of the curriculum.  Students are tested in reading and writing through the use of district reading assessments and unit exams.  The CAT-6 is also administered to students in third grade.  The results from these assessments are analyzed during staff development sessions to modify teaching.

The number and percentage of teachers in academic areas experiencing low student performance is minimal.  However, while few students score “below basic” at Ladera, all teachers are asked to monitor student performance carefully to prevent academic failure.

Family, school, district, and community resources available to assist students include:  parents, teachers, students and community members all working together to provide a positive, caring, and child-centered environment.  The PTO generously funds school enrichment programs in the arts and classroom field trips aligned with the State Standards.