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.
If your child is absent from school, please call our attendance line at (425) 408-4110. Your call will go to voicemail and you’ll be asked to record your student’s name, teacher, date of the absence, and the reason for the absence. If you like, rather than calling you may send a note to school including the same information, or drop by the office to report absence information in person.
If you do not call before 9:30, you may receive a call notifying you that your child is absent from school.
While classroom teachers enter daily attendance for their class in the district’s electronic Synergy System, they do not have access to the portion of the system in which absences are excused and reasons for the absences are entered. Because of this, absence information must be provided to the school office staff. If you send a note to school with your child, please ask them to drop it off at the office in the morning.
If an absence occurs and a parent or guardian does not notify the school office and provide a reason for the absence within 2 weeks, the status of that absence will automatically become unexcused, and the Washington State law (The Becca Bill) regarding unexcused absences will be followed. Once the status becomes unexcused, it cannot be changed.
Attendance Policy
Regular school attendance is required and is necessary for students to succeed. Bear Creek Elementary is dedicated to working with families to assure regular school attendance, and as part of Northshore School District, Bear Creek follows the Washington State law (The Becca Bill) which addresses school attendance. Specifically, unexcused absences will be processed in the following manner:
- Parents will be informed in writing after one unexcused absence in one month.
- A parent conference will be scheduled after two unexcused absences in one month.
- A formal agreement will be reached with the student and with the parent regarding attendance, or a truancy petition will be filed with Juvenile Court if a student has five unexcused absences in a month.
- A truancy petition will be filed with Juvenile Court if a student has seven unexcused absences in a month or ten unexcused absences in a year.
- A contempt motion will be filed if a student is not in compliance with a court order resulting from a truancy petition.
Please remember that absences for which a reason is not reported within 2 weeks, will automatically become unexcused and that status cannot be changed.