Here are a few factoids about attendance, tardies, and our morning and afternoon gates:
Attendance is compulsory for students 6 and up but hugely important for all students. It leads to learning and deep friendships AND is what funds the school.
Students who miss 10% of the school year or more are considered "Chronically Absent." We get dinged as a school, both financially and otherwise, and kiddos miss learning and bonding.
Excused absences don't make the absences disappear. An excuse just tells the state the reason for the absence. This distinction between "excused" and "truant" absences becomes important during times of domestic strife and with increased vigor later on in middle and high school.
Tardies don't carry as much weight, but they do matter. Students miss out on routines, learning and bonding. Teachers and classmates are interrupted. And tardies can be used against one parent or the other during domestic disputes.
We strive to be generous here at Walgrove. We understand that parenting is hard, co-parenting is hard, traffic is trafficky, and our clientele here on the Mar Vista-Venice border is composed of creatives with very lively brains and busy lives.
So, we close our morning gates five minutes after the bell rings. School starts at 8:05. We close all three gates at 8:10. After that time, students must enter through the front office and be marked tardy. But that five minute grace period is something that most schools don't offer.
Here at Walgrove, we do what we can to be as generous as we can within the confines of State and Federal bureaucracy. We also offer morning supervision starting at 7:30. We encourage all to drop off kiddos early so as to beat the rush!
If you will be taking a vacation outside of the allotted times per the LAUSD calendar please let your teacher know at least three days in advance so you can pursue Independent Study, which is when we give you some work to do (typically related to the vacation, like photos, journal entries, stories, a bit of math and physical exercise) and we get to mark you present (not absent!). This is for vacations of 3-14 school-days in duration.
Regarding the robocalls you might receive for absences and tardies, I DO NOT SEND THOSE. Even though the message might say "This is the principal" or something like that, IT IS NEVER REALLY ME. I NEVER SEND ROBO MESSAGES ABOUT ATTENDANCE OR TARDIES.
I might call you directly from my cell phone (323) 363-1934 to inquire and to see if you need support of some kind (transportation, food bank, mental health services, connections to other services, etc). But, I won't call to harass you or make you feel shame, guilt or fear.
I hope this is helpful information.
Please let me know if you have any questions, concerns or cool ideas.
Thank you for your partnership!
Dr. K
