Attending school regularly helps children feel better about school—and themselves. Your student can start building and supporting this habit by ensuring your child attends school on time, every day. Consistent attendance will help children do well in high school, college, and at work.
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.
WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU
We miss your student when they are gone and we value their contributions to our school. We would like you to help ensure that your student attends regularly and is successful in school. If your student is going to be absent, please contact the high school attendance secretary Christy Powell at (360)496-5137.
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 but not limited to Jordan Royle our director of student services, Kim Inocencio our school nurse, Joe Keihn our school interventions, and myself. 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.
SCHOOL POLICIES AND STATE LAWS
It is important that you understand our school policies and procedures, as well as Washington State Law, to ensure your child is successful in school. State law for mandatory attendance, called the Becca Bill, requires children from age 8 to 17 to attend a public school, private school, or a district-approved home school program.
We, the school, are required to take daily attendance and notify you when your student has an unexcused absence.
If your student has two unexcused absences in one month, state law (RCW 28A.225.020) requires we schedule a conference with you and your student to identify the barriers and supports available to ensure regular attendance. The district is obligated to develop a plan that may require an assessment to determine how to best meet the needs of your student and reduce absenteeism.
If your student has seven unexcused absences in any month or ten unexcused absences within the school year, we are required to file a petition with the Juvenile court, alleging a violation of RCW 28A.225.010, the mandatory attendance laws. The petition may be automatically stayed and your student and family may be referred to a Community Truancy Board, or you and your student may need to appear in Juvenile Court. If your student continues to be truant you may need to go to court.
At Morton Jr/Sr High School, we have established the following rules on attendance that will help you ensure your student is attending regularly. Attendance is a point of emphasis for Morton Jr./Sr. High School. Written in all student-learning objectives for every course offered at Morton Jr./Sr. High School is a participation objective that requires students to participate in class activities a minimum of 80 days per semester to receive full credit. Of course, exception will be made for extenuating circumstances upon written appeal to the building principal.
Students are required to attend their regularly scheduled classes for the full extent of their schedule, including assemblies and specific activity periods. If a student does not report to their regularly scheduled class he/she will be considered to be skipping. If a student has a need to spend time in an alternative classroom, the student must report to his/her regularly scheduled class and that instructor will determine if it is acceptable for the student to be allowed to miss class time to go to another classroom.
Students leaving or arriving at school at any time other than regularly designated times must report to the main office with a signed note from a parent or guardian.
Students who arrive at a class ten minutes or more after the class has started will be considered absent from that class on that day.
Students who arrive at class for roll and then leave for the majority of the class period will be counted as absent. (2016-2017 Morton Jr. /Sr. High School Student Handbook/Policies)
WHAT YOU CAN DO
- Set a regular bed time 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 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 back-up 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 after school activities, including sports and clubs.
Thank you,
Joshua Stoney
Principal
Morton Sr./Jr. High School