Regular attendance is key to success in school. When children miss instruction, their academic progress is affected. With this in mind, it is important that your child is on time and present each day unless ill or in the case of a significant extenuating circumstance (for example, a family emergency or religious observance). 

Notifications 

There are several ways to notify us if your child will be absent. 

• Call: 360-503-1600
• Submit an Absence Request through Skyward Family Access 
  • Login to Skyward Family Access
  • Click on Attendance
  • Click on Absence Request 

Absences  

The parent/ guardian is expected to notify the school of a student’s absence prior to their absence or the morning of, when possible. Parents must provide explanation of an absence within 48 hours of the student’s return to school, otherwise the absence will remain unexcused. If an elementary school student has five or more excused absences in a single month during the current school year or ten or more excused absences in the current school year, the district will schedule a conference with the student and their parent(s) at a reasonably convenient time. 

Family Vacations 

Since school is in session 36 weeks during the year, 16 weeks are open for scheduling family vacations and activities. Pulling children out of school at other times often has a negative impact on academic achievement and disrupts ongoing development of skills and concepts. As a parent you model and teach good work and life habits that relate to the outside world. Please show your child that attendance at school is important. As much as possible, schedule appointments outside of the school day and ensure that your child gets to school on time. We believe that each day of school is important, right up until the last day of the school year, and that children learn best when their attendance is consistent. Thank you for your support with this matter.

Tardiness 

Students enter classrooms after the first bell at 9:00AM. Any child arriving to class after 9:05 AM in the morning is considered tardy. Students who are tardy must bring a note to the office from their parents explaining the reason for the tardiness, or be signed in by their parent in person. A student who is consistently tardy misses important instruction. Parents of students who are frequently tardy may be contacted by the principal to develop a plan to address the problem.

Closed Campus 

Once a child arrives at school in the morning, he/she will not be permitted to leave the school grounds without written permission from the parents. This is also true for students wishing to leave school to eat lunch at home. In addition, the office also requires a note from a parent if a child is not going to ride his or her regular bus home in the afternoon. The school is unable to allow out-of-town friends, or other students who are not enrolled at Fidalgo, to visit the school for the day. 

Early Dismissals 

In the event that your child must be dismissed early for a family emergency, or for an appointment that cannot be scheduled outside of the school day, the student must bring a note from their parents to their teacher explaining the situation before he/she can be dismissed. As a safety procedure, parents picking their child up before regular dismissal times must come to the office to meet their child. The child will then be signed out of school for the day. Teachers will not release a child directly to a parent nor will children be permitted to wait outside for parents.