Important Attendance Notice

To excuse your students absence:

Call our front office at: 360-524-2842 x 2

Email us at: frontoffice@rootedschoolvancouver.org

Please provide your full name, your student’s full name, grade and reason for the absence.

You have 3 days from the date your student returns to school to excuse an absence.

Excused Absences

Students are expected to attend all assigned classes each day. Upon enrollment and at the beginning of each school year, the district shall inform students and their parents/guardians of this expectation, the benefits of regular school attendance, the consequences of truancy, the role and responsibility of the district in regard to truancy, and resources available to assist the student and their parents and guardians in correcting truancy.  The district will also make this information available online and will take reasonable steps to ensure parents can request and be provided such information in languages in which they are fluent. Parents will be required to date and acknowledge review of this information online or in writing.

 

The following are valid excuses for absences: 

  1. Participation in a district or school approved activity or instructional program; 

  2. Illness, health condition or medical appointment (including, but not limited to, medical, counseling, dental or optometry);  

  3. Family emergency, including, but not limited to, a death or illness in the family; 

  4. Religious or cultural purpose including observance of a religious or cultural holiday or participation in religious or cultural instruction; 

  5. Court, judicial proceeding or serving on a jury; 

  6. Post-secondary, technical school or apprenticeship program visitation, or scholarship interview; 

  7. State-recognized search and rescue activities consistent with RCW 28A.225.055; 

  8. Absence directly related to the student’s homeless status; 

  9. Absence resulting from a disciplinary/corrective action. (e.g., short-term or long-term suspension, emergency expulsion); and 

  10. Principal (or designee) and parent, guardian, or emancipated youth mutually agreed upon approved activity.

 

Unexcused Absences

  1. Any absence from school for the majority of hours or periods in an average school day is unexcused unless it meets one of the criteria above for an excused absence. 

  2. As a means of instilling values of responsibility and personal accountability, a student whose absence is not excused will experience the consequences of his/her absence. A student's grade may be affected if a graded activity or assignment occurs during the period of time when the student is absent. 

  3. The school will notify a student’s parent or guardian in writing or by telephone whenever the student has failed to attend school after one unexcused absence within any month during the current school year. The notification will include the potential consequences of additional unexcused absences. 

  4. A conference with the parent or guardian will be held after three unexcused absences within any month during the current school year. A student may be suspended or expelled for habitual truancy. Prior to suspension or expulsion, the parent will be notified in writing in his/her primary language that the student has unexcused absences. A conference will be scheduled to determine what corrective measures should be taken to ameliorate the cause for the student's absences from school. If the parent does not attend the conference, the conference may be conducted with the student and a school official. However, parent will be notified of the steps the district has decided to take to eliminate or reduce the student’s absences. 

  5. Not later than the student’s fifth unexcused absence in a month the district will enter into an agreement with the student and parents that establishes school attendance requirements, refer the student to a community truancy board or file a petition and affidavit with the juvenile court alleging a violation of RCW 28A.225.010. 

  6. If such action is not successful, the district will file a petition and affidavit with the juvenile court alleging a violation of RCW 28A.225.010 by the parent, student or parent and student no later than the seventh unexcused absence within any month during the current school year or upon the tenth unexcused absence during the current school year. 

  7. All suspensions and/or expulsions will be reported in writing to the superintendent within 24 hours after imposition.

*For early dismissal: To  be excused, a parent/guardian must sign out their student with their home office prior to the student leaving campus.

* 3:00pm is the deadline for early dismissal for your student each day (including in-office requests).