The school day begins at 8:00 AM.  Students are expected to arrive on campus by 7:55 AM in order to be in class on time.  Students are required to be in school every day. Parents/guardians are strongly encouraged to schedule family trips and medical appointments after school hours or non-school days. Each Friday is an early release day, which makes it an ideal time to schedule appointments. 

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Independent Study

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Students who expect to be absent for 5 days or more  (but not to exceed fifteen school days) should apply for Short Term Independent Study, through the school office. Please let the office know at least two weeks in advance.

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The work that is assigned on an Independent Study is due on the day the student returns to school to the office. Student work will be graded and attendance will be credited based on the percentage of work completed and returned.  Incomplete work equates to an unexcused absence.

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Absences

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The State of California’s attendance regulations provides funding to schools based only on students who are in attendance each school day or on independent study for a minimum amount of instruction time.  Absences impact your child’s learning and the New Brighton Middle School budget.  It is important that families do all they can to ensure their child has regular attendance.

 

In the event of an absence from school, the parent/guardian must provide the school with a written note or telephone call.  The written excuse note or call must state the student’s name, the reason for the absence, and the date(s) of the absence and the signature of the parent/guardian.  A maximum of three school days is allowed to clear an absence; if the absence is not cleared it is recorded as an unexcused absence. On the day the student returns to school, he/she should come into the office before school to obtain a re-admit slip.  Parents/guardians may inform the school of a student’s absence by calling 464-5660 ext. 490.

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Education Code Section 48205

 

In accordance with the State of California Education Code, New Brighton Middle School will only accept illness, medical appointments, court appearances, funerals or religious observances as excused absences.  The intention is to follow the Education Code and to encourage parents to send their children to school on school days and to plan trips during non-school days.

 

A student may be excused legally from school when the absence is due to:

 

• Personal illness or injury.

• Quarantine under the direction of a County or City Health Officer.

• Medical, dental, optometric, orthodontic, or chiropractic services rendered.

• Attendance at funeral services for a member of the immediate family.

• Jury duty in the manner provided by law.

• The pupil is custodial parent of a child who is ill or has a medical appointment during school.

• Exclusion for failure to present evidence of immunization.

• Exclusion from school because the student is either the carrier of a contagious disease or not immunized for a contagious disease.

• Pupils in grades 7-12 who leave school (with prior approval of the services.  The pupil is to return a copy of the medical professionals appointment-verification form.

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Student Tardiness

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Students are expected to be in their seats by the 8:00 AM bell. Students who arrive late to school must bring a note to the office from a parent/guardian. Tardies may only be excused for student illness, student medical, dental or vision appointments, or funeral.  The office will issue a tardy slip to the student. Unexcused tardies will result in a lunchtime detention.

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After FOUR unexcused tardies during a quarter, the student will be assigned to Friday School, this includes tardies to class after the start of the day. 

 

Students with excessive tardies to school and/or classes will be referred to the School Attendance Review Board (SARB). In order to have the most effective classroom environment, it is important that interruptions be kept to a minimum. Therefore, it is the student's responsibility to be in their seat, ready to work, by the time the bell rings at the start of class. Teachers will follow the NBMS 4-step consequence system for tardiness.

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Late/Tardies: Being punctual is a life skill, and it reflects respect for the time of others. Lates are less than 30 minutes late, tardies are greater than 30 minutes late.

 

• Students who accumulate 4 unexcused tardies/lates in a quarter will be assigned to Friday School.

• Tardies/lates can only be excused for reasons listed below in the Ed Code Section 48205.  All other reasons will result in an unexcused tardy/late.

 

Truancy

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Any unexcused tardy over 30 minutes is considered to be truancy. Truancy is defined as an avoidable absence without the foreknowledge and consent of the student’s parent/guardian, or the school administration. Cutting a class/day of school is a serious breach of trust between a student, his/her family, and teachers. Truant students are assigned Friday School. Truant students are also ineligible to participate in extracurricular activities for 30 days. Students are required by law to attend school daily.  Students who are absent or tardy regularly, cut school, or have three or more truant absences will be referred to the School Attendance Review Board (SARB).

 

Permission to Leave School Early

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If a student must leave school before the end of the day for an appointment, he/she must have permission from a parent/guardian in the form of a note or a phone call in order for the student to be excused from class to come to the office.  Parents/guardians are required to come into the office and sign their students out before leaving campus. If the student returns to school later in the day, the student must sign back into school at the office noting their return time. The student will then be issued a pass to class.  If a student is to leave campus, and the parent/guardian is not available to pick them up, a note signed by the parent/guardian must be presented to the office authorizing the student to leave campus without parent/guardian escort.  An Off-Campus Pass, which must be signed by an administrator, will be issued to the student. The student will then sign out noting administrator approval.  If a student leaves campus without permission, it will be considered a cut.