Illness and Attendance

COVID

Bishop O’Dowd High School follows the guidelines and protocols for COVID-19 as recommended by the CDC and California Department of Public Health. The following is in line with the most current recommendations as of March 2025:

Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines.

Although vaccinated people sometimes get infected with the virus that causes COVID-19, staying up to date on COVID-19 vaccines significantly lowers the risk of getting very sick, being hospitalized, or dying from COVID-19.

Practice good hygiene (practices that improve cleanliness)

If you are experiencing symptoms, do NOT attend school. It is recommended to take a COVID test.
If you are positive or have symptoms, please remain at home.

You may return if, for at least 24 hours, if both are true:

Your symptoms are getting better overall, and
You have not had a fever (and are not using fever-reducing medication)

It is recommended to practice added precautions for the next 5 days, such as wearing a mask.

Contact the O’Dowd Attendance Office (via email: attendance@bishopodowd.org or phone: (510) 553-8691) to report a positive COVID test result.

General Illness

From section 5.15 of Student Family Handbook -

Any student who becomes ill during the day must report to the Attendance Office, with a pass signed by a teacher/dean. If the student needs to go home, the attendance coordinator will call the parent/guardian to pick up the student or give the student permission to leave school. A student will not be permitted to leave campus unless the parents/guardians can be contacted.

All school injuries are to be reported to the teacher or coach in charge as soon as they occur,

whether the student considers the injury significant or not.

If a student reports to the Attendance Office or the deans with an illness that requires that student to leave class, the sick room can be used for thirty minutes so that the student can rest and then will be asked to either return to class or call parents/guardians to be picked up.

Additionally, students must present a doctor’s note upon returning to school.

Attendance- Absence Reporting & Appointment Release

Attendance email: attendance@bishopodowd.org

Phone: (510) 553-8691

School starts at 8:45am. Being in class on time is expected. Seven (7) accumulated tardies earns a before/after-school detention. Excessive tardiness may result in activity (sport/co-curricular) restriction. Attendance tallies are recorded and viewable in PowerSchool. Parents/guardians receive an automated notification if their student is marked absent in class. Excessive absences (15) in any class, result in an automatic No Credit (NC).

Contact the Attendance Office with your student’s name, grade, and date of absence(s). Absences are only confirmed by parents/guardians, they are not considered excused. If the absence is for an illness lasting longer than 3 days, please submit a doctor’s note to the Attendance Office upon your student’s return to school. Please be sure to CC your student’s counselor as well as they can assist/support for extended illnesses, injuries, or emergency situations.

Please make all outside appointments outside of school hours. If it is necessary to release a student early, please contact the Attendance Office at least one hour prior to the desired dismissal time. Students must come to the Attendance Office to pick up a yellow Dismissal Slip which then must be presented to Campus Safety personnel at the Front Gate for release. Students will not be allowed off campus without a signed Dismissal Slip. Additionally, students must present a doctor’s note upon returning to school.

See Chapter 4: Attendance Policies and Procedures in the Student Family Handbook for complete details.