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Attendance

If your child will be absent, call the school office: 360-289-2147.

Every absence, excused or unexcused, is a learning opportunity lost and can have significant impacts on a student's success. A student who misses 10% or more of their school days (at least 18 days) in a school year—or just two days a month—is considered "chronically absent." Chronically absent students are more likely to fall behind in reading and math and less likely to graduate from high school. Addressing chronic absenteeism and developing good attendance habits is a solvable problem for which we all share responsibility.

Did You Know?

  • Starting in kindergarten, too many absences (excused and unexcused) can cause children to fall behind in school.  
  • Missing 10 percent (or about 18 days) increases the chance that your student will not read or master math at the same level as their peers. 
  • Students can still fall behind if they miss just a day or two days every few weeks.
  • Being late to school may lead to poor attendance.  
  • Absences can affect the whole classroom if the teacher has to slow down learning to help children catch up.
  • By 6th grade, absenteeism is one of three signs that a student may drop out of high school. 
  • By being present at school, your child learns valuable social skills and has the opportunity to develop meaningful relationships with other students and school staff. 
  • Absences can be a sign that a student is losing interest in school, struggling with school work, dealing with a bully or facing some other potentially serious difficulty.
  • By 9th grade, regular and high attendance is a better predictor of graduation rates than 8th-grade test scores.


Our Promise to You

We know that there are a wide variety of reasons that students are absent from school, from health concerns to transportation challenges. There are many people in our building prepared to help you if you or your student face challenges in getting to school regularly or on time including; Rettai Bruni, Mary Nelson and Beth Peterson. We promise to track attendance daily, to notice when your student is missing from class, communicate with you to understand why they were absent and to identify barriers and supports available to overcome challenges you may face in helping your student attend school.

What You Can Do

  • Set a regular bedtime and morning routine.
  • Prepare for school the night before, finishing homework and getting a good night’s sleep.
  • Find out what day school starts and make sure your child has the required immunizations.
  • Don’t let your student stay home unless they are truly sick. Keep in mind complaints of a stomach ache or a headache can be a sign of anxiety and not a reason to stay home.
  • Avoid appointments and extended trips when school is in session.
  • Develop backup plans for getting to school if something comes up. Call on a family member, a neighbor, or another parent.
  • Keep track of your student’s attendance.  Missing more than 9 days could put your student at risk of falling behind. 
  • Talk to your student about the importance of attendance.
  • Talk to your students’ teachers if you notice sudden changes in behavior. These could be tied to something going on at school.
  • Encourage meaningful afterschool activities, including sports and clubs.