Rules

Absences

The school should be notified of anticipated absence due to out-of-town trips (see Independent Study), family emergencies, or medical or dental appointments (see Picking Up Your Child Early).

If your child is going to miss school for any reason, please do the following:
1. Call the school on the morning of the first day of expected absence at (310) 798-6223.
2. If your child is ill, let us know if your child has a contagious disease, such as chicken pox, measles, strep, or mumps, so we can watch for symptoms in other students.
3. Send a note when your child returns to school. Include your child’s name, date(s) of absence, reason for absence and your signature. We need this information for school funding.

A child who was absent due to a fever must be fever-free for 24 hours before returning to school.

Important Note: For every day that a student misses school, MBUSD loses $35.00. We strongly advise that parents refrain from keeping children out of school for vacations, social purposes, or reason other than illness. If parents do choose to keep their child out of school for such reasons, we respectfully request that they donate $35.00 per day, per child, in order to offset the financial loss due to unexcused absences. Please make checks payable to MBUSD. See the letter from Superintendent Dr. Gwen Gross on this topic.

Traditionally, MBUSD provides an educationally valuable opportunity for all students in Grades 1, 2, and 3 to be in small groups of approximately 10 students, for 40 minutes either at the beginning or ending of the school day. This program, known as "Early Dragon/Later Dragon" gives students the educationally powerful benefit of more individual attention and small group focused instruction in the very important subject of reading. Beginning in late September, students are assigned to an "Early" or "Late" group. Teachers very carefully place students after considering many factors related to the child’s total profile: academic, physical, personal-social strengths and needs, and their work habits.

Your support and assistance in adjusting schedules, when needed, to accommodate this program will contribute positively to the quality our staff works so diligently to plan and provide for all the children.

Later Dragons should not arrive more than 7 minutes prior to start of class (9:00 AM). We ask that Later Dragons waiting and Early Dragons leaving, their parents, and their caregivers be quiet during this transition time so that they do not disturb the classes in session.

Attendance times for Early and Later Dragons are available here.

Independent Study

Independent study contracts are available in the event that an important family trip cannot be scheduled during regular school holidays. Students qualify for Independent Study contracts when planned absences are a minimum of 5 days in duration:

Disruptions to your child's school attendance can have a significant impact on his or her academic performance. Please consider this carefully before you decide to remove your child from school for several days at a time. Independent study contracts keep your child “in touch” with class curriculum while they’re away, and allows the school and the district to receive ADA (Average Daily Attendance) funds from the state. Before your child leaves school, you will need to fill out important paperwork.

Please follow these procedures:
1. Pick up the forms in the office at least one week in advance and complete page 1.
2. Return forms to office for Principal to approve.
3. Teacher completes form with assignment (page 2) and sends home with child.
4. Complete time spent on independent study (page 3) and send all work and forms back to school within one week of return.