FAQ

What do I do when my student is absent? An adult should report the absence on the Attendance Hotline the morning of each day’s absence – PLEASE do not call the office to report routine absences! What if I need to pick my student up early, or just take them to the dentist? Have your student bring a note to the Attendance Office before school; telling us what time you need him or her in the office. We will have them waiting for you to sign them out at that time. What do I do if my student forgot something at home? Forgotten items will NOT be delivered to the classrooms – teach your students now to come to the office to check for lost/forgotten items. This is necessary to minimize interruptions to the classrooms. Students can use loaner clothes for PE, but they will still need to make up points. Please put money in their lunch account so that we do not have to interrupt classes when they forget their lunch. What do I do if my student will be late? Parents may excuse three tardies per semester, after that students will be assigned detention. Tardies accompanied by a note from the doctor or dentist will not count as one of the three. What do I do if we have to take our student on a trip with us, or will be out for a medical reason? Planned absences of 5 or more school days – try to contact us as soon as possible, 2 weeks is good. An independent study contract can be set up to allow your student to keep up with the schoolwork. There are a few tricky rules for this, so please notify the Attendance Office, NOT the teachers. What about homework for planned absences less than 5 days? Please notify the teachers and the attendance hotline. 858-484-1300 ext. 9002 How do I get homework for unplanned absences? Each student should get a study buddy for each class to get the assignments from. Some teachers also use the homework hotline. If they end up absent 3 or more days please call the office (early in the morning!) for a homework request. My student will be having major surgery and missing more than 10 days of school? We can get a home tutor, in some cases, for extended medical absences. These must be done well ahead of time. Contact the Attendance Office ASAP! What if my student needs to contact me? Students should plan to be picked up at a certain time, get a phone card, or bring money for the pay phone. They can call for some things from the classrooms, but the office phones are for emergencies only! These phones are always busy and we cannot have students coming in and using the phones. What if I don’t want my student to do P. E.? State law says that parents may excuse a student from P. E. for up to three days, after which they must have a doctor’s excuse. All P. E. excuses must go through the health office. What if my student needs to stay after school? – There is no supervision outside after 2:40p.m. Students staying after school need to be with a teacher, Power Hour, library or in the YMCA program and should get activity bus passes from that teacher. There is NEVER an activity bus on Fridays. What if my student needs to take medicine (even Tylenol) at school? California law requires the school to have a Doctor’s prescription for any medications given at school, including over-the-counter medicines. We also have to have the parent’s written permission and the medicine must be brought in the original container. Forms are available in the office. What if there is a problem with my student’s lunch account? Please contact the Black Mountain Cafeteria directly at 858-484-1030.