Attendance
There is a high positive correlation between excellent school attendance and academic achievement. Students need to be at school whenever possible.
Dixon Montessori Charter School supports student achievement by spending the majority of its financial resources on staffing the school with a very low student to teacher ratio. This allows each child to receive more attention and it allows us to individualize learning more effectively for all of our children. The majority of our school’s budget is based upon the average daily attendance of the students who attend Dixon Montessori Charter School. Anytime that a student misses an entire instructional day of school because of illness, appointments, vacation, or any other circumstances, the school losses all the money that is allocated to educate that student on that given day. However, the school’s fixed costs do not change. When school attendance is low, it jeopardizes the school’s ability to maintain the low student to staff ratios that we all value for our children. We urge you to schedule appointments and vacations outside of school time whenever possible, to make use of the school’s independent study option when absences of more than three days are anticipated and to keep your children home only on those days when they are too ill to attend school.
In California, people between the ages of 6 and 18 are subject to full-time education. Dixon Montessori Charter School is required by law to keep a record of all student absences and truancy. Student illness, dental and medical visits and the death of an immediate family member are the only absences excused by the State of California. Students are expected to be in class prior to 8:10 each morning as tardiness disrupts the learning process. Dixon Montessori Charter School defines habitual tardiness as tardiness in excess of 12% of the total days in the school year. Charter schools are considered schools of choice and habitual tardiness or unexcused absences may lead to a student’s expulsion from Dixon Montessori Charter School. Habitual attendance problems may be referred to the School Attendance Review Board (SARB).
Under AB 1610 which became effective January 1, 2006, charter schools are required to notify a student’s district of residence if a student leaves a charter school. Please let Dixon Montessori Charter School staff know if you plan to take your child out of Dixon Montessori Charter School before the school year is over.
Please call the school at 678-8953 before 9:00am if your child will not be in attendance for ANY reason, this includes illness, vacation, doctor’s appointments, etc. Absences are excused by State Law for reasons of: illness, medical or dental appointment or attendance at a funeral (1 day in state, 3 days if out of state) of an immediate family member.
Anytime a student is absent from school, even when excused, the school loses state funding.
When a student has had 5 days of consecutive absences or 14 days of non-consecutive absences in the school year for illness, which were verified by a note or phone call to the school office, the school requires that any further absences be verified by a physician.
At a time when funding for public education has become increasingly scarce, there is a need to be concerned about unnecessary losses of revenue. Our families can help reduce this loss by scheduling vacations to coincide with the many school holidays. If your child must be away from school for travel or other non-excused reasons, he/she may be eligible for an Independent Study Contract.
Extended unexcused absences will result in children being un-enrolled from Dixon Montessori Charter School.
Tardiness
Students are required by law to attend school and to arrive on time. A note or telephone call is required for late arrivals and absences. Tardy students must go to the office before they enter class to get a Tardy Pass. Students will not be allowed to enter class without a tardy pass from the office even if only a minute late. Please help your child to arrive on time. The arrival of even one late student disrupts the class start time.
Independent Study
Independent Study is a program that allows Dixon Montessori Charter School students who will be out of town for a minimum of 3 days & a maximum of 10 days, to keep up with their school work and get credit for their attendance. Circumstances requiring more than 10 days need to be approved by the Dixon Montessori Charter School Governing Board.
Parents need to FIRST notify the school office a MINIMUM of two weeks in advance of their travel date, so that the appropriate paperwork can be started. The office will then give the classroom teacher the contract to be completed. Independent Study contracts cannot be given in conjunction with the end of a school year.