Attendance

Hello Sedgwick Families!

Let’s talk attendance ~ Regular attendance is vital to the quality of a child’s education.

As Parents and Guardians, you are key in establishing and maintaining punctual, regular attendance habits in your children. The habits that our kids are developing now will carry them through adulthood, both in their personal and professional lives.

Showing up matters! If you are having a hard time getting to school or are a parent having a hard time getting your student to school, please let us know. We are here to help!

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 Skyward also covers the expectations and policies of the district. Parents and students are both encouraged to review these materials.

Please don't forget about our weekly newsletter, The General Gist! It has all the information you need for all things JSMS related.

We are happy to answer any questions or concerns you may have. We have linked information through out to help you navigate through the site.

If you have a chance, stop by the main office to say hello. We would love to meet you!

JSMS Attendance and Main Office Staff

General Attendance Information

Early Releases

If your student needs to leave school any earlier than the dismissal time of 2:45 pm, please notify the school via phone call, written note, email or Skyward 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. For pre-approved releases, students should check in with attendance in the morning to get a pass.

The pick-up person must sign out the student out in the Main Office and will need to show ID. Please plan to expect extra time for student release as there are times it takes longer than others 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.

Tardies

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

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

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.

Excused Absences

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. For further information on excused absences you can view the districts policy on excused absences here.

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

You can log into Skyward to add an absence request.
Send a written, dated and signed note with your student.
Reply to the ParentSquare notification that you receive the evening of the student’s absence.
Calling the John Sedgwick Attendance Specialist at (360) 874- 6096
Emailing JohnSedgwickAttendanceSpecialists@skschools.org

Chronic Excused Absences

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.

Vacations & Extended Absences

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.

Homework When Absent

When your student(s) are on a trip or when they are feeling well enough when sick at home, please encourage them to log into Google Classroom to stay current with assignments and other class work while absent.

It is the student's responsibility to communicate with their teachers to ensure they do not fall behind. For a preplanned absence of 2 or more days, please have your child fill out a Vacation & Extended Absence Form to arrange assignments.

We are happy to help facilitate communication, if needed. Please just let us know.

Unexcused Absences & Truancy

In accordance with Washington state laws and the BECCA Bill, when a student has 7 unexcused absences with in a 30 day period or 15 unexcused absences with in the school year, the school is required to file a Truancy Petition with the Kitsap County Court.

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

What are the current guidelines for sick students to be able to attend or return to school?

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 or click on the following link for Promoting Student Health.

My child's bus is running late. Will my child be excused automatically?

When I call to excuse my child, will their coaches be notified?

If I need someone to pick up my student but they are not on the emergency pick up list, what do I need to do?

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.

My child is involved in extracurricular activities at the school. Are they able attend if they have missed school?

Does my child need a doctor's note if they had an appointment or are out sick?

Having documentation on file is always helpful 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 5 or more consecutive days, 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.