Leota Middle School wants your student to be successful! Parents and guardians can help their student by promoting and encouraging regular, punctual attendance. Being in every class period and on time every school day ready to learn at the bell is very important and leads to a positive learning environment for all students and staff.
Every effort will be made to record attendance notifications received by 3:00 PM on school days. Notifications received after 3:00 PM will be recorded the next school day. Parents and guardians can view attendance by logging in to ParentVUE.
What parents can do to help...
Important attendance practices completed throughout the school year by parents/guardians and students greatly help their son or daughter and themselves:
- Parents/guardians contacting the Attendance Office within two school days of any absences and indicating the reason for the absence.
- Maintaining a record of absences and the reasons on a calendar throughout the school year.
- Providing doctor's notes for medical, dental or orthodontic visits as they happen during the school year.
All parents and guardians should be receiving an automated School Messenger phone call (and email if an email address has been provided to the Counseling Center) when their student has been absent. Following up immediately is important and helpful to everyone.
For a complete copy of LMS's attendance policy refer to your student's copy of the Student Handbook.
We are here to help! Please contact the Attendance Office if you have any questions about our policy or your student's attendance.
Report an Absence
Students are expected to attend all assigned classes each day. It is important that you call the office whenever your student will be absent from school.
CALL 425-408-6510
Parents or guardians must verify all absences within 48 hours (two school days), preferably the day of the student's absence, in one of four ways:
- By a phone call to the Attendance Office (voicemail available 24 hours a day)
- By a written note signed by the parent/guardian
- Escort your student to the Attendance office before attending any class
- By an email from the parent/guardian’s email account to lmsattendance@nsd.org
When verifying an absence, please include all of the following:
- Student's first and last name (please spell when leaving a phone message)
- Date(s) of absence(s)
- Student's school identification number
- Reason for the absence
- Your name and phone number
Failure to verify an absence within 48 hours (two school days) may result in an unexcused absence. Students are responsible for their attendance and rely on their parents and guardians to excuse their absences and tardies in the required time frame. Students whose absences are not excused within 48 hours (two school days) may be assigned progressive discipline.
Please be aware that the LMS Attendance phone line rings continuously throughout the day and even more so in the mornings. If you call and receive the voicemail, please leave your message. It is checked regularly throughout the day.
Excused absences include absences due to:
- Illness or a health condition
- The need to seek medical, dental or other health care services
- Family emergencies
- Religious observances
- School-related absences
If your son or daughter experiences an illness, medical condition or an accident that leads to an extended absence, please contact your student’s counselor as soon as possible. Parents and guardians are strongly encouraged to schedule medical appointments outside of the school day whenever possible.
LMS's absence/tardy form link to Note to the attendance above, can be completed and signed by the parent/guardian and delivered to the Attendance Office by the student. Forms are available at the Attendance Office or can be downloaded at home by clicking the link, "Note to Attendance" above.
Early Dismissals
Early dismissals must be arranged prior to the absence.
Please send a signed note with your student on the morning of the needed early dismissal day for your student to bring to the Attendance Office before school. This helps minimize classroom disruptions to valuable learning time that occur when a TA delivers a pass to your student in the classroom during the school day. Passes will be delivered to your student prior to departure, allowing your student to be ready in the Attendance Office for parents/guardians to pick up at the specified time.
PARENTS MUST COME INTO THE ATTENDANCE OFFICE TO SIGN THEIR STUDENT OUT.
It is understandable that there are times a student must be released early for an appointment or emergency that the parent/guardian was unaware of in time to send a note in the morning with their student. In these instances, it is advisable to contact the Attendance Office as soon as possible and leave a message at (425) 408-6510 or email lmsattendance@nsd.org prior to your arrival. The voicemail and email are checked throughout the day. It can take up to 15 minutes to retrieve a student from their classroom due to varying circumstances.
We appreciate your assistance and understanding and request that every effort be made to keep your student in class the entire school day so the best possible learning environment can be preserved for all our students and our teachers.
Late Arrivals & Tardies
Students arriving to school late must sign in at the Attendance Office and obtain a pass before going to class. A parent/guardian signed, written note or a parent/guardian phone call is required within 48 hours of the late arrival or the student will continue to be marked unexcused.
A student who is tardy will be marked "tardy" when he or she is not in the classroom by the bell, ready to work as defined by his or her teacher. Students who are more than twenty (20) minutes late to class are marked "absent".
Please be aware that the LMS attendance phone line 425.408.6510 is a 24- hour voicemail line checked continuously throughout the day. If you call and receive the voicemail, please do leave your message. It is checked regularly throughout the day.
Compulsory Attendance Law
School attendance has been and continues to be compulsory. Pursuant to RCW28A.225 and Northshore School District Student Rights and Responsibilities Policy and Procedures 3200, the Northshore School District and Leota Middle School supports and enforces the Compulsory Attendance Law.
Becca Bill - It is the intent of this legislation to direct schools to initiate a series of corrective steps when a student is absent and unexcused from attending school. After the seventh unexcused absence within a month or the tenth unexcused absence during the school year, a petition is filed with the Juvenile Court alleging a compulsory attendance violation.
Prearranged Absences
When known in advance that a student will be absent for several days, the absence should be prearranged. Parents and guardians are asked to keep in mind that an absence from school, even though work is made up, is not advisable unless absolutely necessary and may result in a lowered grade or loss of credit. Instruction may not be repeated and could adversely affect a student's final grade.
Parents and students are strongly encouraged to review the school calendar, and when at all possible, schedule activities such as vacations, etc., on days that would not require missing school. When this is not possible and a student must miss several days of school, the student should:
Prearrange absences by requesting his or her teachers complete and sign a Prearranged Absence Form. Prearranged Absence Forms are available at the Attendance Office; or click on the link above "Prearranged Absence Form."
Upon completion of the Prearranged Absence Form by his or her teachers, the student must then have the Prearranged Absence Form signed by his or her parent/guardian. Bring the fully signed Prearranged Absence Form to the Attendance Office for approval prior to the absence period.
Note: A teacher's approval does not eliminate the need to complete missed course work.
