Attendance

Student responsibilities 

1. Attend all classes promptly and regularly. 
2. Bring a note and sign in with the Attendance Secretary for all late arrivals and early dismissals. 
3. If you go to the doctor for illness causing absences, please request a doctor's note for the school.   
4. Make arrangements with each teacher for make-up work upon return to school. 
5. Obtain a "Pre-Arranged Absence Request Form" for planned absences of 3 or more days. 
6. To participate in any after-school activity, sports, theatre, concerts, etc., a student must be in attendance in all their classes.  The only exceptions are: school related and approved absences (field trips), medical/dental appointments, family emergencies, or legal appointments when appropriate written verification of the appointment from the provider has been submitted to the Attendance Office upon their return.  Any other emergencies or absences must be approved by School Administration on a case-by-case basis. 

Parent/guardian/caretaker responsibilities 

1. Emphasize to students that school attendance is a priority. 
2. Call or email attendance office before 7:30 a.m. each day that your student is absent or send a note to the office, with excuse and parent/guardian/caretaker signature, when your student returns. 

Any absence is marked unexcused if the office is not notified. 

1. If possible, please schedule appointments outside the school day. 
2. For early dismissals, please email as soon as possible or send a note in with your student with their name, time needing to leave, and the reason for leaving early. Direct your student to come to the attendance office in the morning to pick-up an early release pass. An authorized adult must sign the student out in the office before leaving. The adult may be asked to show ID and will need to be listed as an emergency contact. If returning the same day, the student must sign in with the office and will be given a pass to return to class. 
3. For late arrivals, students should come to the office with a parent/guardian/caretaker note, email or parent/guardian/caretaker phone call before reporting to class. 

1. When possible, please try to arrange vacations to coincide with scheduled school breaks. 

2. If the absence is for 3 or more days, students should pick up (from the office) a “Pre-Approved Absence Request Form” to circulate to all teachers for their input and signature. This form also needs to be signed by a parent/guardian/caretaker and returned to the Attendance Secretary before the absence.  

3. Pre-Arranged Absence Request Forms may not be completed retroactively. 

Middle and High School Pre-Arranged Absence Request Form

Excused Absences 

1. Issaquah School District recognizes the following reasons for excused absences: illness, medical/dental appointments, religious observances, family emergencies, family trips and disciplinary actions as required by law. 
2. Absences for school-related activities and field trips are also excused. 
3. Excessive excused absences will be addressed by the Counselors/Administrators. You may be asked to provide a doctor’s note for excessive excused absences due to illness, if you reach a total of 15 excused absences at any point in the school year. 
4. ISD Regulations on Excused and Unexcused Absences found here.   

3122 - Excused and Unexcused Absences - Issaquah School District 411 (isd411.org)

3122P - Excused and Unexcused Absences Procedure - Issaquah School District 411 (isd411.org)

Unexcused Absences (truancy)  

All absences that are not authorized by the principal, not excused from among the above reasons, or are the results of leaving school without checking out, are unexcused absences.  

Failing to provide a note/phone call from parent/guardian/caretaker to verify an absence on the day of the student’s return to school will result in an unexcused absence.  Students may not receive credit for a graded activity or assignment assigned or due during the time of absence nor must they be allowed to make up missed work. 

1. Each unexcused absence will be followed-up with an automated telephone call or email to parent/guardian/caretakers.  
2. If a student has three or more full-days of unexcused absences in a month we will reach out to discuss supports for the student/family.  
3. On or before the seventh unexcused absences in a month a truancy letter will be sent to the family reminding of school attendance requirements.   
4. A truancy petition may be filed if a student has seven (7) unexcused absences in a month or fifteen (15) unexcused absences in a year. 

Make-up Work Policy for Excused and Pre-Arranged Absences: 

1. It is the student's responsibility to arrange for make-up work with each teacher prior to a pre-arranged absence and upon returning to school after an absence. Check Canvas. 
2. Students are given one day to make up missed work for each day of an excused absence unless other arrangements have been made. 

• Family trips taken during an entire assessment window will be marked as unexcused.  

• Data collected during these assessments informs our practice and supports your student’s learning. Please travel during vacation periods outlined by the ISD. 

Communicable Disease Guidelines 

Use this checklist to determine whether to keep your child home from school 

If you answered yes to any of these questions, please keep your child home from school and consider seeking medical attention. 

Head lice - Please contact the school nurse if any indication of head lice. 

Remember to keep the school updated with new phone numbers and emergency contacts in case your student becomes ill at school. Any questions please call your school nurse.  

The most important thing you can do to prevent illness is for you and your child to wash your hands often with warm water and soap. 

Any student withdrawing from school must report to the Registrar's office and obtain a Withdrawal Form. This must be signed by a parent/guardian/caretaker, circulated to the appropriate persons and returned to the Registrar. No records will be cleared or sent to another school until this has been completed.