Skip to main content

John Sedgwick Middle School

Home of the Generals

Attendance

Attendance

Regular attendance is one of the strongest predictors of student success. Students learn best when they are present, engaged, and on time. Thank you for partnering with us to make attendance a priority. Excused absences for illness, religious observance, school activities, or
emergencies are honored at the principal's discretion. Parents/guardians have 10 school days to excuse an absence.

If your child will be absent, please contact:

Elizabeth Barrett
📞360-874-6096
📧barrette@skschools.org

Attendance policies, procedures and student's expectations are outlined in your student's handbook, provided at the beginning of each school year. The Annual Attendance Verification that families are required to sign each year in Qmlativ also covers the expectations and policies of the district. Parents and students are both encouraged to review these materials.

Extended Absence Requests

Planned absences of more than four school days require an Extended Absence Planner. The planner must be submitted and approved at least one week before the absence. Requests submitted less than one week in advance will not be excused. It’s important that students communicate with their teachers and stay on top of the work they’ll miss during their absence.

Steps to Request an Extended Absence:
Step 1: Notify Ms. Barrett in Attendance
Phone: (360) 874-6096
Email: barrette@skschools.org

Step 2: Complete the Extended Absence Planner form and submit it no later than one week before the scheduled absence. Copies of the form are available in the Main Office.

General Attendance Information

  • If your student needs to leave school any earlier than the dismissal time of 2:45pm, please notify the school via phone call, written note, email or Qmlativ request from a parent or legal guardian with the date and time of pickup as well as the full name of the person picking your child up.

    The pick-up person must sign out the student from the Main Office and will need to show ID. Please plan to expect extra time for student release, as we will call them to the Main Office when you arrive, and there are times it takes longer to have the students released from class.

    *As a safety precaution, students are not allowed to leave the school campus during school hours without clearance from the Attendance Specialist or an Administrative Official.

  • Wake up late or miss your bus? We still want you here!!

    Remember school starts 8:10 am and at 8:55am on Wednesdays. click here for a copy of our schedule.

    Parents are not required to walk in with their child when they are tardy or when returning them to school after an appointment in order to excuse them. Please know that you are are always welcome! Sending a note, an email or giving us a call to excuse your child's tardy is sufficient.

    *The district has set cut off for a tardy at 10 minutes or less. Any tardy 11 minutes or more will be coded as an absence for that period. If left unexcused, the tardy will count as an unexcused absence for the entirety of that period.

  • If your student will be missing school, please notify the school as soon as you know they will be out. Absences may only be excused by a guardian or parent and excuses need to be reported within 5 school days in order to be excused. 

    There are a few ways to notify the school of an absence:

  • An attendance plan or contract may be considered if your student has an excessive number of excused absences. This will be determined on an individual basis depending on several factors such as: number of days missed, attendance history, grades, feedback from parents, teachers, counselors and administrators. If your student is recommended for an attendance plan, you will be contacted and excuses for absences may need to be approved by a doctor or school administrator in order to be excused.

  • Ideally, vacations planned on breaks from school are preferred. However, we do realize that is not always possible and appreciate that family time and experiences outside of school are also very important to your child's social emotional growth. 

    If your family is planning a vacation, please have your student fill out a Vacation & Extended Absence form at least 48 hours prior to their absence. If this is not possible, please notify Attendance as soon as you know the dates that your student will be gone. 

  • It is the student's responsibility to communicate with their teachers to ensure they do not fall behind. For a planned absence of 4 or more days, please have your child fill out an Extended Absence Planner form to arrange assignments.

  • In accordance with Washington State Laws and the BECCA Bill, when a student has 7 unexcused absences within a 30 day period or 15 unexcused absences within the school year, the school is required to file a Truancy Petition with the Kitsap County Court. SKSD - Attendance and Truancy. 

    If your student is absent for more than 3 consecutive days, with no contact from a parent or guardian, our School Resource Officer, may be asked to visit your home to check on the safety of your student.

    Making sure your student is safe and accounted for is not only our top priority but also our legal responsibility.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • South Kitsap School District, in accordance with guidelines from the Health Department, ask that your student:

    • Be fever-free, temp of 100.4°F +, for at least 24 hours before returning.
    • Has had no episodes of vomiting for 24 hours before returning.

    For more information see: Health Services and Nurses.

  • When a bus is late, the Transportation Department will communicate with us in order to excuse students. If your student was on a late bus and you received a tardy notice, please let us know and we will be happy to excuse it. If your child misses their bus, please call us to let us know so we can excuse their absence. 

  • We do make an effort to communicate absences to coaches. The Athletics Assistant runs a report around 1:45pm each day and sends the list to the coaches and our Athletics Director. Contacting your child's coach directly is always the fastest and most efficient way to ensure you are all on the same page.
     
    For more information see: Athletics

  • Please call the Attendance line and be sure to leave the full name of the person that you are giving permission for us to release your student too. Older siblings that are licensed to drive can pick up a sibling as long as we have received permission from the student's parent or guardian. Please ask your pick up person to bring a picture ID when picking up your child. For more information, please see the Early Release section above.

  • In order to participate in extracurricular activities (ie: dances, sports, clubs) students must attend school a minimum of one-half day (equal to 3 full periods), unless other arrangements have been made with an administrator or designee. 

  • A note from a health care provider is always preferred, but is not required unless you have been notified by the Attendance Specialist or an administrator. There are 2 instances in which we would require a note:

    1. If your child is out sick for more than 3 consecutive or 4 total days in a week, we may request a note to continue to excuse further absences. 
    2. If your student plays sports and misses any school for an appointment, they will need a note that states that they are 'cleared to participate in activities' in order to participate in practice or games on that same day.