Laws of the State of Washington (RCW 28A.225) specify that parents/guardians have the primary responsibility for ensuring the attendance of their children at school.  The law further states that students shall be regular and punctual in attendance.  Missing school for any reason negatively impacts learning, achievement, and grades.  The attendance procedures at Meridian Park are designed to assist parents/guardians in carrying out this responsibility.

If your child is absent from school, it is your responsibility to inform the school.  Please call the school office, 206-361-4251 (extension 4), and give the name of your child, teacher’s name, your name, and reason for the absence.  You will need to telephone each day that your child is absent.

With no office contact, students must bring a note from home upon returning to school stating dates missed and reason for absence.  This must be done within 48 hours of returning for the absence to be counted as excused.

We do not have the facilities for sick children and can only hold them in the Health Office for a short time.  Parents will be called to take the child home.  (Therefore a student should not be sent to school with signs of illness.)  We would appreciate knowing if a child is seriously ill and will be unable to attend for a period of time.

Students who are absent are expected to make up school assignments.  Please make arrangements with the teacher for a timeline for doing make up assignments.  If you are requesting assignments from the teacher for a child who is home ill, please call in the morning so that the teacher will have time to prepare the work that can be picked up in the office in the afternoon.

To leave a message after school hours for a staff member orregarding your child’s absence, you may call Meridian Park at:  206-361-4251 (extension 4, then press 1).  Examples of excused, unexcused, and excessive absences are listed below:

 Excused Absences:

-       Illness

-       Doctor/Dentist appointment for student only

-       Death in the family

-       Religious observance

-       Prearranged family trip (must be cleared with building administrator)

-       Extreme family emergencies

Unexcused Absences:

-       Oversleeping

-       Babysitting

-       Finishing homework

-       Excursions – such as attending the fair, sporting events, movies, etc.

-       Appointments for someone other than the student

-       Missed bus

Tardies

An excessive number of tardies and/or absences negatively affect a student’s academic performance.  Tardiness also interrupts classroom instruction and has an impact on all students in the class.  Five tardies or absences (excused or two unexcused) in a marking period (one month) are considered excessive and may require notification and/or conference between the parent/guardian and building administration.