Attendance

Information on the school's attendance requirements

Parents: Please report your child's absence by calling the attendance line at 253-583-5261.

Absences

Students are expected to bring an excuse to school following their absence. Excuses are given to the classroom teacher.

Unexcused absences are reported to the district and can result in a school not meeting annual yearly progress under the No Child Left Behind Act.

As a means of instilling values of responsibility and personal accountability, a student whose absence or tardiness is not excused shall experience the natural consequence of his/her truancy or tardiness. A student's grade shall be affected if a graded activity or assignment occurs during the period of time when the student's absence or tardy is of an unexcused nature.

Five unexcused absences in a month or ten unexcused absences within a year require official action by the school to court authorities.

Excessive Absences

After a student reaches 10 absences anytime in the school year, a letter reminding the parent of the process as well as the Washington State attendance law BECCA will be mailed home.

Once a student reaches 20 absences, the parent will need to have a doctor's note for each absence from that point forward. 20 days = 1 school month. With only 9 months of instruction, being gone for more than 10% has a detrimental impact to the student and to the classroom learning environment. Illness is the usual reason for absence from school, but it is recognized that extenuating circumstances make absences necessary.

In such cases when the child is to be absent, an excuse may be granted at the principal's discretion.

Tardy

Students are expected to furnish the office with a note as to why they are late. Parents may also call the school. If the student arrives to school before 8:30, the student is still tardy, however rather than making them miss more instructional time by visiting the main office we encourage our students to bring their notes to their teacher's classroom and then join their reading groups. If the student arrives later than 8:30, the student should check into the main office. Any child arriving after 11:30 will be counted absent for the day. Automated letters will be sent to parents through our districts attendance system. The first half of the day is when our critical instruction for our reading and math occurs in grades 1st-5th.

Excessive Tardies

Similar to excessive absences, after a student reaches 10 tardies anytime in the school year, a letter reminding the parent of this the process as well as the Washington State attendance law BECCA will be mailed home.

Once a student reaches 20 tardies, Parents may be required to meet with the school principal.

20 days = 1 school month. With only 9 months of instruction being gone for more than 10% has a detrimental impact to the student and to the classroom learning environment.

Impact Waivers :

Excessive tardies and absences as described in the previous excessive tardy and absence sections will result in your waiver being revoked and/or non-issuance of a waiver for the following year.

Leaving During the Day

Parents are asked to make medical and dental appointments outside school time. If you must make appointments during the day, we encourage you to make them later than 11:45, because the first half of the day is when our critical instruction for our reading and math occurs in grades 1-5th. Absences for appointments are generally considered excused.

If an early dismissal or late arrival is planned, please provide the office with a written notice. A child who comes to school late or leaves early is to report to the office. Parents/guardians who intend to bring a child late to school must come to the office to sign the child in. When a child is picked up before dismissal time the parent/guardian must come to the school office and sign the child out.

*If the child regularly attends the Beachwood School Age Program or Youth Center, parents are asked to call the centers to let them know that the child has left school early.