The School Day

The school day begins at 7:30 a.m. Formal instruction ends at 2:30 p.m. The Lishma period ends at 3:30 p.m. Students should not arrive earlier than 7:00 a.m. and must be picked up no later than 4:30 p.m. at the Middle School or 5:00 p.m. at the Upper School unless attending a supervised school function. Milken closes at 3:30 p.m. on Friday in order to observe Shabbat.

Attendance Policy

Absences

Excused absences occur when a parent removes his/her child from school for reasons including illness, court appearances, urgent medical appointments, family simchas (wedding, bar/bat mitzvah), or a death in the family.

The School expects all students to be in all classes 100% of the time and expects parents to be partners in supporting this goal. Students may not exceed five absences for any reason per semester for each class as this number of absences may result in class failure. The school's "Otto Attendant" sends a message when absences exceed any mulitple of "four," as in four, eight, or twelve. When the number of absences exceed eight, the school shall take note of these absences and begin the process of review as to whether the student is in jeopardy of failing the class. In this regard, there is no system of "excused" or "unexcused" absences. All absences are counted, and the school keeps records of all abences. The school's philsophy is "An absence is an absence - period."

If a student is absent on a given day, it is the parents' responsibility to call the office before 8:00 a.m. to notify the school, and to provide a note to the main office upon your child's return. Please call the attendance hotline at 310.440.7778.

Upon returning after an absence, the student must bring a written note from a parent to the main office which explains the absence. The student will be given a readmit slip. Without a note, the absence will be considered unexcused.

We strongly discourage any absence due to voluntary activities, such as family trips or routine doctor or dental appointments. Routine appointments need to be scheduled outside the school day. Parents must avoid calling the main office to release students.

When a family trip is necessary, causing a student to miss school time, the family should first discuss the matter with the assistant principal, and notify the school nurse who handles school attendance. Planning ahead is essential, and all students should work carefully with the assistant principal to be sure teachers approve an absence in advance. A trip permission form is available from the assistant principal and should be completed in advance.

Absences do not include participation in school-sponsored events. No student may participate in an extracurricular event if he/she has missed school on the day of the event.

Excessive absences will result in a "drop" from the class, and a grade of "F" may appear on the transcript.  

When a student misses five consecutive days of school due to illness, a doctor's note will be required for re-admission to school. A doctor's note may be required for prolonged illness.

Unexcused Absences

Unexcused absences seriously impact a student’s ability to learn. Students who are present on campus must be present in their scheduled classes. Students may not receive credit for work done in class, nor may they be permitted to turn in work that was due if they are unexcused. Unexcused absences may result in further disciplinary actions. Unexcused absences are serious infractions and do count in the scheme of "five" absences per semester.

Tardies

All members of the community are expected to be in class on time. Students arriving late disrupt the learning environment. Habitual tardiness may result in disciplinary action. The school considers four tardies to be the equivalent of an absence for the class.

Dismissal

Dismissal from school during the school day requires advanced planning. Students who must be dismissed from school should bring a note from a parent on the morning of the dismissal. The child must sign out at the main office upon departure under all circumstances.

Late Arrival and Early Dismissmal Privileges

In an effort to ensure security and the best possible learning environment for our children, the Milken Community High School campus is a closed campus.  Students must be on campus from 7:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., Monday-Friday, even if students do not have scheduled classes during certain periods.  

Arriving late and/or leaving early is a privilege extended to some 12th grade students.  Students must complete a permission form and submit it to the assistant principal for approval. Late arrival and early dismissal is a senior only privelege at Milken.

College Visits

College visits are an important part of the senior year. Upper School seniors may request up to three additional excused absences for college visitations. These visits must be pre-approved by the College Counseling department. Students must fill out a college visitation form two weeks prior to the trip. Students and parents should plan these trips with utmost care - considering the impact that the trip has on student attendance and learning.