Attendance Information

According to District Policy #3122, the following are valid excuses for absences:

1. Physical health or mental health symptoms, illness, health condition or medical appointment (including, but not limited to, medical, counseling, mental health wellness, dental, optometry, pregnancy, and behavioral health treatment (which can include in-patient or out-patient treatment for chemical dependency or mental health) for the student or person for whom the student is legally responsible;
2. Family emergency including, but not limited to, a death or illness in the family; 

3. Religious or cultural purposes including observance of a religious or cultural holiday or participation in religious or cultural instruction; 

4. Court, judicial proceeding, court-ordered activity, or jury service; 

5. Post-secondary, technical school or apprenticeship program visitation, or scholarship interview; 
6. State-recognized search and rescue activities consistent with RCW28A.225.055; 

7. Absence directly related to the student's homeless or foster care/dependency status; 

8. Absences related to deployment activities of a parent or legal guardian who is an active duty member consistent with RCW 28A.705.010; 

9. Absences due to suspensions, expulsions or emergency expulsions imposed pursuant to chapter 392-400 WAC if the student is not receiving educational services and is not enrolled in qualifying "course of study" activities as defined in WAC 392-121-107
10. Absences due to student safety concerns, including absences related to threats, assaults, or bullying; 

11. Absences due to a student's migrant status; and 

12. An approved activity that is consistent with district policy and is mutually agreed upon by the principal or designee and a parent, guardian, or emancipated youth.

Contact the attendance office by email, phone call/voicemail, or ParentSquare message sent within 5 school-days since the absence occurred. Any absence outside of the 5 days will need administrative approval in order to be excused.

If you are calling in to excuse an absence, please directly call the attendance office directly at 206-393-4378.

• Voicemails can be left at any time and are checked regularly.
• Message to excuse an absence must include:
• The full name (first and last) of the student as found on file. Please, no nicknames/alternative names unless already changed in Skyward.
• Reason for absence. This is necessary for auditing and coding purposes - we are not able to  excuse absences without a reason. (See list in district policy below). 
• Date(s) and/or period(s) to excuse.
• Example: “Hi, my name is Jane. I am John Smith's mother and would like to excuse him for today. He is sick.” 

Students who are 18 years or older can excuse their absences only if they pick up a Notice of Student Attendance Responsibility form from the attendance office and return it with a parent/guardian signature.

If you need your student dismissed during the school day (7:50-2:35, or 7:50-12:55 on early release days), please contact the attendance office no later than 2 hours in advance  by phone 206-393-4378, or email (sw.attendance@ssd412.org).

Please note:  If your student needs a dismissal within the first hour-or-two of school, it is best to send a physical note with your student so they can get their dismissal pass directly. The attendance office is a busy place with 1600 students in the building. It takes some time to get through all the emails and voicemails.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING!

Message to Request an Early Dismissal Must Include:

• The full name (first and last) of the student as found on file. Please, no nicknames/alternative names unless already changed in Skyward.
• Time you would like the student to be dismissed.
• Reason for the early dismissal - for auditing and coding purposes.
• Inform us if your student will be returning that day, and what time they plan on doing so.
  • This way, we can excuse periods they will not attend, and count them present in the ones they will attend. For athletes, this is important for them to be eligible to participate in their sport for the day. 
  • Student athletes who miss more than half of the school day will not be eligible to practice or play in games or matches.
• If your student misses more than 50% of class, it is counted as an absence. 
• Campus is closed during all classes and passing periods, with the exception of lunch. Students will not be permitted to leave campus without contact from a parent/guardian during closed campus time.
• I have sent the message - now what?
  • Once you have sent a message to the attendance secretary at sw.attendance@ssd412.org, or called in to (206) 393-4378 with all the information needed, your student should pick up their dismissal pass from the Attendance Office prior to the period that they are leaving. Delivery of dismissal slips is not always possible.

Early Dismissal Example: “Hi, my name is Jane. I am John Smith's mother. He is needing an early dismissal at 12pm, and will not return for the rest of the day due to a doctor's appointment.” 

Students returning to school from an early dismissal while a period is already in session must check in with the attendance office. They will receive a late pass upon returning (this is excused). If you receive a message on ParentSquare about a tardy upon returning from an early dismissal, please note this is excused and does not negatively impact their attendance.

If your student will be arriving late, after the start of the regular school day (7:50am), please call or send a note to the attendance office. This way, we can monitor your student’s arrival time and excuse their tardiness.

Once a student has attended their appointment and returned to school, students should check in with the attendance office before returning to the classroom. 

Students who plan on missing more than 2+ school days in a row should pick up an Advanced Notice of Absence Form from the Attendance Office. Once the form is completed and signed by the student's teachers and parent/guardian, the student returns the form to the attendance office before their extended absence. 

Advanced Notice of Planned Absence Form

Each time a student has an unexcused absence, we notify parents/guardians via automated phone call, email, and ParentSquare notification on the day your student is absent.

We notify twice a day — a robo call and email go out at 11:15am. A robo email is sent out at 5:15pm.

• Absences that are reported after 10:20am will not be recorded and will receive a  notification.
• Parents are expected to contact the attendance office with any questions, concerns, or excuses within 2 school days.

Consequences for Accumulating Absences 

If a student accumulates 2, 5, 7, or 10 days of unexcused absences in an academic school year, a Truancy letter will be sent home. See the Truancy section below for more details.

1st Unexcused Absence:

Automated Notification

When a student is marked absent from any class an automated phone call will be made to the student’s home.

2nd Unexcused Absence:

Letter Home

Following the 2nd unexcused absence in any class a letter will be sent to the parent/guardian.

5th Unexcused Absence:

Letter Home

Following the fifth unexcused absence in any class, a second letter will be sent to the parent/guardian. We strongly recommend that you call the attendance, or counseling office at tel:206-393-6122 to schedule a conference with an administrator to develop strategies to prevent loss of credit in individual classes.

7th Unexcused Absence:                                

Parent/Guardian Conference

Following the seventh absence in any class, a third letter will be sent to the parent/guardian.  Again, parents are strongly encouraged to schedule a conference with an administrator to develop strategies to prevent credit loss in individual classes. Please call (206)-393-4378.

9th Unexcused Absence:               

Possible Loss of Credit

At the 9th absence in any class a letter will be sent to the parent/guardian informing them that their student may lose credit. Questions regarding loss of credit are referred to an Assistant Principal. Students may apply for credit restoration if they have no more than one unexcused absence and are passing in the affected class.

20 + Days of Consecutive Absences

Washington State law states that school districts cannot claim a student for funding if they have not attended at least one full day in the last 20 consecutive school days. At 20 consecutive days of absence, we are required to withdraw your student for non-attendance.

At this time, Shoreline School District only offers in-person learning. If your student is not able to regularly attend classes in-person at Shorewood High School and is interested in an online/remote learning option, please see the list of OSPI (Office of Superintendent of Instruction) approved programs at the following website: OSPI Approved Remote Learning Programs

For additional support in enrolling in one of these options, please contact your student’s school counselor.

Letters will be mailed home at intervals of 2, 5, 7, and 10 days of unexcused absences from school. These absences do not have to be consecutive and are counted throughout the school year. 

• A day is counted if the student misses the majority of the school day (more than 50%).

According to Washington State truancy laws (RCW 28A.225) after seven (7) unexcused absences in one month, or fifteen (15) in one year, school districts must file a “truancy petition” alleging a violation of the law by the student, by the parent, or by both. 

According to the State of Washington, an unexcused absence is student nonattendance for more than 50% of the student’s school day. This nonattendance has not been approved by a parent/guardian through the attendance office within 2 school days.

We strongly encourage parents/guardians to contact the attendance office to schedule a conference with an administrator to develop strategies to eliminate student absences when a student has reached two (2) unexcused absences in a one-month period.

As a school, we want students to know and learn the value of being on time, the expectation of being ready to engage, and of honoring the professional relationship between teacher and student. It is critical that students practice and learn the habits and life lessons of punctuality and commitment because they are essential as students move onto college, a career, and life as a part of a larger community. As a school dedicated to educating young people, students deserve a clear, consistent practice.

Attendance is taken within the first 10 minutes of class. If a student is running more than 10 minutes late, they must check in at the attendance office to receive a late pass, or they will continue to be marked absent. Checking into the tardy kiosk will override the attendance taken by their teacher, as well as give us a time stamp of their arrival for staff and parent/guardian reference.

Shorewood High School’s Tardy Policy is detailed below. Teachers have the authority to institute and enforce a tardy policy for their respective classroom that is stricter than what is stated below:

• A student will be considered and designated as absent” after 10 minutes of class time has elapsed.
• Upon a student’s third tardy to the same class, the student will receive a classroom-based detention to be served with their teacher during a mutually agreed upon time (i.e. break, after school, etc). The teacher should also contact parents by email, telephone, or mailed discipline referral form. If a student fails to attend classroom-based detention, the teacher will submit an appropriate discipline referral form to the Dean of Students or an Administrator for appropriate follow-up corrective action.
• A student’s grade may be affected by an increasing number of tardies, which would begin accruing at the time of the third tardy.
• Upon a student’s fourth tardy to the same class, the teacher should submit a discipline referral form to the Dean of Students or an Administrator for appropriate follow-up corrective action.

Errors and Absence Notifications

If you suspect there is an error within your student’s attendance, please have your student contact their teacher. The attendance office can only rely on data reports. If you are looking to confirm a student’s attendance, please reach out to their teacher directly. Their teacher will then need to inform attendance if an error made needs to be adjusted.

• Confirmation from a staff member who was present in the class during the attendance in question is necessary for any attendance adjustments.

Parent Square Notification Adjustments

Notifications can be turned off and are adjustable on the user’s end (immediate, digest, or off) through your profile settings. You will still receive emergency notifications. These are for safety reasons and are not able to be turned off.

Excused and Unexcused Absences - Policy

Excused and Unexcused Absences - Procedure

Home-Based Instruction - Policy

The school principal (or designee) has the authority to determine if an absence meets the above criteria for an excused absence. A parent/guardian not satisfied with the principal determination may appeal to the superintendent/designee for further consideration.