Attendance
Please Report All Absences!
If your student will be absent, or if you have any questions or concerns about our attendance policies, please contact the Thornhill office using one of the following methods:
- Email (preferred): attendance@thornhillschool.org
- Phone: 510.879.2157 (leave a voicemail if we miss your call; we listen to all messages!)
- In Person: Stop by the main office if you are already on campus dropping off a sibling
Any absence that has not been verified by phone, email or note is considered Unverified and is Unexcused.
Three Unexcused OR Unverified absences automatically generate a truancy letter from the district.
What is Considered an “Excused” Absence?
The district is very clear about what is—and what is not—considered an excused absence, here are some types of absences can be excused with required documentation:
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A doctor’s note is required for illness after 3 consecutive absences, and after 14 non-consecutive absences
- Quarantine
- Medical/dental/vision appointment (an appointment slip is required)
- Funeral service for immediate family member (one day for in-state and 3 days out of state) Any additional days over those times is considered “Unexcused”.
All other absences are considered unexcused, for example:
- Family vacations
- Moving
- Oversleeping
What is the Difference Between Chronic Absence and Truancy?
Chronic Absence: Students who miss 10% or more of school days (which is 2 or more days in each month, or 18 days in the school year) for any reason during the school year are considered chronically absent.
Truancy: Students with 3 or more unexcused absences and/or 30-minute tardies are considered truant.
When Should Children Stay Home From School?
OUSD has created this helpful FAQ to know when children should stay home from school.
If you are facing any challenges with daily attendance, please reach out to your student’s teacher or the principal. We are here to partner with you and provide support resources to help you and your child succeed.
Independent Study
What is Independent Study?
Please note that there will be no independent study requests the first month of school!
Independent Study (I.S.) allows your child to travel without interrupting their learning. Your student will also NOT be marked absent during this time!
- Indepent Study if available from August 16th, 2026 - May 14th, 2027
- Minimum of 3 days per I.S. request
- Maximum of 15 days per I.S. request
- Mandatory notification of at least two weeks in advance
To request independent study, will need to sign a contract in the office where you will receive a work packet. You will have a week after returning to turn in the completed packet, else you will not receive credit and be marked unexcused for the travel days.
Important: simply notifying your teacher does NOT initiate Independent Study process, only the office can do this!
Independent Study Process:
