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School Hours and Attendance Information

School Hours

Transitional Kindergarten

 School Begins All Grades    Dismissal everyday    
    8:15 am - Morning Bell             12:15pm  

Grades TK Recess and Lunch:

Students will all have a fifteen-minute morning recess, and a thirty minute lunch time before pick up.  

Kindergarten through 5th grade

 School Begins All Grades    Thursday Dismissal      M, Tu, W, and F Dismissal  
    8:15 am - Morning Bell             1:30pm                 3:00pm

Grades K-5 Recesses and Lunch:

Students will all have a fifteen-minute morning recess, 15 minutes for eating lunch with a 30-minute lunch recess, and a fifteen-minute afternoon recess.  


Minimum Days for all students

  • Minimum days are scheduled during the year to allow time for parent/teacher conferences and staff development.
  • 8:15 am to 11:20 am - All Grades TK-5 
  • Check the Menlo Park City School District Instructional Calendar for scheduled minimum days.

Absence Policy and Tardiness

  • The classroom teachers take attendance at 8:15 am. 
  • If your child is going to be absent, please notify the office using SafeArrival, our reporting system. In order to get started, please create an account within the SchoolMessenger app or on the SafeArrival website. Directions to create an account are as follows:
    • Use your mobile device, download and install the SchoolMessenger app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store. The first time you use the app, select Sign Up to create your account.
    • Use the SafeArrival website, https://go.schoolmessenger.com. The first time you use the website, select "Sign Up" to create your account. 


Independent Study Plan for Planned Absences 

  • Your child's attendance matters. All students who are out on an unexcused absence, without an Independent Study Plan (ISP), will affect our school rating according to the state. When an ISP is put into place, the student is not considered absent, and therefore it will not be an unexcused absence.
  • The only excused absences are for student illness, student medical appointments, student attendance at a funeral, school shadowing, religious activities/holidays, or exclusion for failing to meet immunization requirements. All other absences will be marked "unexcused." 
  • The District now offers an Independent Study Program (ISP) for students who will be out of school for an extended period of time, or consecutive school days. Be assured that the ISP is connected to a child's current educational program with every effort being made to enrich the student experience while not burdening precious family time. A completed Independent Study Plan does not count as an absence. 
  • How do families obtain an ISP? If your child(ren) will miss consecutive school days because of a trip, please contact your classroom teachers prior to the planned absence so the school can put the ISP in place. The ISP must be completed and returned to school once you return, otherwise, the absences are considered unexcused. Please note that absences should also be reported to the school office as usual.
  • Thank you in advance for supporting these efforts and getting the kids to school. We love having them here!  


Health Policy
Students attending school should be in good physical health, without signs of contagious diseases. Parents are asked to keep sick students home until all signs of contagiousness such as vomiting, diarrhea, and fevers have subsided, medication-free, for 24 hours. Communicable diseases should be reported to the school office so that exposure notices may be sent home with classmates. Basic first aid will be provided by designated school personnel. For more complex injuries and illnesses, parents will be notified and students must be picked up from school immediately. There is a no-live lice policy – see Board Policy BP 5141.33 for more information. The district provides vision and hearing screenings for all Kindergarten, 2nd, and 5th-grade students each year, and for students referred by staff or parents.


Medication at School
If prescribed or over-the-counter medications are to be administered or taken during school hours, a medication authorization form must be completed and returned to the school office with medication(s) before your child begins or returns to school. The student’s parent/guardian and authorized health care provider must indicate on the authorization form if the student is allowed to carry and self-administer medication. For students who carry their own medication, it is recommended to have backup medication in the school office. All medication must be in the original prescription bottle/package. Authorization forms must be completed annually. Forms may be found on the district website.

[California Education Codes 49423 and 49423.1]