About Us

Paradise High is a comprehensive public school , grades 9-12, with an enrollment of approximately 1,580 students. Established in 1956, Paradise High school has a proud tradition of academic and athletic excellence.

Attendance

Regular attendance is an important element in enabling students to benefit positively from the educational programs afforded by the school. Parents should be aware of the educational harm to the student and the loss of revenue to the District due to prolonged or frequent student absences. Parents are responsible for notifying the school of the days and reasons for their students' absences. The school has the responsibility of notifying and reporting to parents their child's absences from school or classes.

California State law requires that all persons under the age of 18, who have not graduated from high school, attend school. The only exceptions to this are in the case of personal illness, medical appointments, quarantines, a death in the immediate family, court appearances or for school sponsored activities. All other types of absences (i.e. baby-sitting, work, personal trips/vacations, driver license appointment, etc.) are considered unexcused by the State of California and by Paradise High School.

School personnel and administrators will continue to take pro-active steps in improving positive students attendance. The steps may include all or any of the following:

• Phone calls to parents
• Letters of concern mailed home with students' attendance records and the number of instructional hours missed.
• Student and parent conferences with the teacher and/or administrator.

Expectations and Recommendations

• Each student is expected to be regular and punctual in attendance to all classes.
• It is recommended that parents check their child's attendance periodically by signing up for Aeries parent access, which will give parents up-to-the-minute attendance and teacher grade book information online. Parents may sign up by going to the Main Office at PHS and presenting valid identification. Parents may also call the Attendance Office occasionally to check on their Childs' attendance at 872-6425, ext. 3003.
• Students dropping a class must attend that class until the drop is official; otherwise, missing the class will be treated as an unexcused absence and result in potential disciplinary consequences.
• When students need to leave school during the school day, they must be signed out in the Attendance Office by a parent or guardian. Students may not be met in front of the school.

Please Note: Average daily attendance has a huge effect on the district budget. The school does not receive funds for any absences, due to illness or not. Therefore, we are now requesting a doctor's note for any absence over 4 days. Students who miss school for more than 5 days due to personal business will be considered truant and referred to the District Attorney. A probelm occurs when students miss school for family trips. If an Independent Study contract is not signed 5 days in advance by all teachers and parents, the student will be declared truant.

In Event of Absence

• After each legal absence, the student will check into the Attendance Office with a note from a parent or legal guardian to clear the absence. Absences must be cleared through the Attendance office within five (5) school days after the student returns to school. After the fifth day, the absence(s) will be recorded as unexcused and students will be subject to disciplinary consequences.
• Class work missed due to any absences or tardies will be made up at the discretion of the teachers.

Attendance Policy

The following policy has been developed to encourage regular student attendance in all periods and to provide a plan of consequences when students fail to comply with attendance rules:

• For each period of unexcused absence, a student will receive one hour of mandatory detention. Detention hours are Monday through Thursday from 3:00 to 4:00 PM in room 126.
• Students assigned detention shall have until the end of the current six-week grading period to satisfy their obligation. Those who fail to clear their unexcused absences within this period of time shall be graded according to the corresponding teacher's grading policy.
• Students found to be out of class time without an authorized pass will be immediately escorted to the In-School Suspension room for the balance of the instructional period. Repeat offenders will be subject to additional consequences, not excluding suspension for defiance of authority.
• Saturday School will be held one Saturday per month. Saturday School will be a mode of discipline for violations such such as forged notes, cutting, off campus during closed lunch, or other acts deemed appropriate. Saturday School is not for tardy make-ups.
• The accumulation of three unexcused tardies, as well as each subsequent tardy, will result in the assignment of one day of detention.

A school employee has been hired to monitor and supervise In-house Suspension and Saturday School sessions, to enter data into the Aeries computer data base, to inform parents as to their students' status with regard to this policy, and to keep teachers informed of students' status.

Attendance letters will be mailed home via regular US Mail for students who receive unexcused absences. Students who receive such letters will not be eligible to attend the next major dance (Christmas, Valentines, and Prom) and will be assigned to Saturday School. An attendance list with the names of these students will be posted outside the Attendance Office two weeks prior to each of these dances.

Enrollment in Driver Education courses and issuance of Work Permits will be contingent upon good records of attendance. Students who accumulate 4.5 days, or 27 total periods (5%) of unexcused absences in any semester will be denied enrollment in Driver Education courses in the following semester and/or will be denied a Work Permit or have an existing Work Permit revoked. This status will remain in effect until the student attends school positively for an entire semester.