Attendance

Attendance matters! Students learn best when they attend school regularly. Research shows that consistent school attendance is the strongest indicator of school success in high school, college, and beyond. It takes a team approach of families and students working with us to provide a successful and inspiring environment for each student.

How to Report an Absence

Parents are responsible for reporting student absences as soon as possible. When reporting an absence, be sure to provide your student's full name, the reason for the absence, your name, and a contact number in case we need more information. You can report an absence in one of the following ways:

1. Call the School: Parents of ELEMENTARY SCHOOL students should call Stacy Ferguson at (530) 895-2650 ext 868. Parents of MIDDLE SCHOOL students should call Jamie Beauchane at (530) 895-2650 ext 865.
2. Send an Email: Use the buttons at the top of this page to send an email regarding your student's absence. OR, for an ELEMENTARY student absence, email Stacy Ferguson at sferguson@chicocountryday.org
   For a MIDDLE SCHOOL student, email Jamie Beauchane at jbeauchane@chicocountryday.org
3. Notify the School In Person: If you are on campus, feel free to stop by the appropriate office and tell us in person that your student will be absent.
4. Did you receive a ParentSquare notification? Submit an attendance note via ParentSquare: CCDS uses ParentSquare to notify parents of unexcused absences. These notices go out at 10:30am if we have not already heard from you. When you get this notice, simply click on the "Send Note to School" button in the ParentSquare app or a web browser, and the note will be sent immediately to the appropriate office. Please refer to THIS DOCUMENT for instructions on how to submit an attendance note in ParentSquare.

What Happens if I Leave an Absence Unreported?

When a student is marked absent, we enter it as an unexcused absence as a placeholder until we hear from a parent/guardian. You have 3 days to report an absence to the school. If we do not hear from you within 3 days of the absence, we change the attendance code from unexcused to truant.

Excused vs Unexcused Absences

School absences for any of the below reasons will be considered excused (Education Code Section 48200 Basic Compulsory Attendance Law):

• Personal illness or injury
• Medical, dental, vision or chiropractic appointments
• Attendance at funeral services for a member of the immediate family
• Time for a student to spend time with a family member being deployed or returning from deployment
• Mental Health (5 days per school year)

Upon written request of the parent and approval of school administrator, a student can have a justifiable personal absence. These reasons include but are not limited to:

• Court appearance
• Observation of a holiday of his/her religion (see Parent/Family Handbook)
• Attendance at a religious retreat/service
• Funeral services for someone other than a family member
• Additional Mental Health Days

By law, all other absences are considered unexcused. These include family trips or vacations, and performances in a non-school sponsored activity, such as plays or performances. 

Partial Day Attendance 

When your child has a medical appointment in the middle of the school day, please bring him/her to school before or after the appointment. Schools receive full funding even if a student attends for part of the day!

A parent/guardian must sign the student out and back in for appointments. Please bring a note from the appointment with you when you check your student back in to school.

Short Term Independent Study

We appreciate that you use our school calendar to adjust your vacations and trips so they are not scheduled on school days. However, if your child must be gone for more than 3 days, we ask that you please take advantage of the Short Term Independent Study Program. You can get more details and submit a request on our website. Short Term Independent Study is a beneficial program for your student AND for the school. Participation ensures that your child remains on track with their school work, and CCDS will receive ADA funding for days missed once schoolwork is submitted. It's a win-win!

Please refer to our Student Family Handbook for a complete listing of our attendance policies and procedures. We acknowledge that it takes a team approach of families and students working with us to create positive attendance and educational experiences for our students. Thank you for your support!