Attendance

Absences may be excused for the following reasons if there is timely verification (prior to class absence or within 5 school days upon return) of such reasons provided to the school:

1. Illness or health condition. If your student has 5+ illness related absences, we may ask for documentation from a medical professional. We value the health of MIHS students and will provide the appropriate support as needed.
2. Pre-arrange medical appointments for the student (Parents and guardians are expected to schedule appointments, when possible, outside of school hours to diminish the impact of the absence on student’s learning. IMS understands this may not always be possible due to scheduling conflicts.)*;
3. Family emergency;
4. Religious or cultural holiday or participation in religious or cultural instruction*;
5. Pre-arranged participation in a school-approved activity or instructional program*; and
6. An approved pre-arranged activity that is consistent with district policy and is mutually agreed upon by the principal or designee and a parent or guardian*.

Vacations are not considered activities consistent with district or state policy. Please see Board Policy 3122 A for additional reasons a student’s class absence may be excused. Any student who is absent without a legitimate reason as described above will be marked unexcused. These types of class absences are considered pre-arranged and guardians are responsible for communicating with the school prior to their absence.

Unexcused absences and tardies occur when:

1. The parent or guardian submits an excuse that does not meet the definition of an excused class absence as defined above (including vacations);
2. The parent or guardian fails to submit any type of excuse statement for an absence; or
3. The parent or guardian does not submit an excuse within 5 days of the student’s return; or
4. Parents or guardians fail to follow proper procedure in any other way.

• The absence will be marked UNEXCUSED in the Skyward Information System until communication occurs with the parent/guardian, via a phone call or note brought to school.
• Repeated occurrences of unexcused absences is considered to be truancy. (See information regarding truancy below)
• Progressive disciplinary action may be enacted including but not limited to lunch detention and/or before/after school detention

If your student has a planned absence for an appointment, vacation, etc, they will need to pick up a prearranged absence form. These forms are located outside of the attendance office window. Students will need to fill out the form, collect teacher’s signatures, and submit to the attendance office at least 2 days before the scheduled absence date.

Prearranged absence forms do NOT include school related events (field trips, athletics, etc.) 

If your student is absent due to serious medical reasons, please also make sure to connect with the MIHS school nurse as well as the Attendance Office. They will be able to help communicate with staff regarding support for your student while they are absent and when they return if needed.

If your student is not feeling well, they need to go to the Nurse's office! 

Early Dismissals
Please email or call and leave a voicemail ahead of time. A dismissal pass will be sent to your student's classroom. Once they receive the pass, they will be able to leave class and meet you outside for pick up. If your student is not returning for the day, please state that. 

Late Arrivals
When your student arrives at school late, your student must go to the Attendance Secretary. A late pass will be given. The student is responsible for taking the Late Arrival Pass to the teacher of the class to which they are returning. 

MIHS Athletics/Co-curricular Attendance Policy

Students participating in a co-curricular activity (i.e. athletic practices, club events/meetings, rehearsals) must attend at least 60% of their assigned class periods in a given day to be eligible for participation in the activity or event. This includes excused absences. If students have any unexcused absences for the day, they will not be able to participate. Exceptions may be granted by an administrator or designee in advance.

When a student is absent, it is the responsibility of the student to connect with their teachers to  identify and complete work that is missing due to the absence.If an absence is excused, the student will be permitted to make up all missed assignments outside of class under reasonable conditions and time limits established by the appropriate teacher; where reasonable, if a student misses a participation-type class, they can request an alternative assignment that aligns with the learning goals of the activity missed.  It is encouraged that a student review Schoology for each class missed and complete work as able.

Mercer Island High School supports the mental health and well being of our students. The term “mental health” refers to a wide range of conditions and impacts on a person’s psychological or emotional well-being. Poor mental health has been shown to have a direct correlation between school grades and performance as well as overall health.The social, emotional, mental, and physical health of students is a shared responsibility and a critical component of student learning and overall well-being. An excused absence for mental health wellness provides the ability to be proactive in care, notice and address symptoms, and take time as needed to prioritize wellness. If your student has 3 mental health absences, the attendance support team  will connect with you and your student regarding the resources we have at MIHS. If your student has 5+ mental health absences, we may ask for documentation from a medical professional. We value the health of MIHS students and will provide the appropriate support as needed. If you have any questions and/or concerns related to these absences, please do not hesitate to contact the MIHS Attendance Support Team.

Mistakes happen and attendance errors are easy to resolve! If a student is incorrectly marked absent or tardy, they can pick up a correction form from the attendance office. Their teacher will confirm that they were in attendance and will sign the form. Students can return the form to the attendance office when it is complete.

Truancy from individual classes and/or school will result in consequences ranging from detention to suspension from school. Guidelines from the BECCA Bill will be followed for excessive unexcused absences. Effective the 1995-96 school year, the BECCA Law revised the procedures for enforcing the State Compulsory Attendance Law. It requires the reporting of unexcused absences and the filing of petitions with the juvenile court to reduce truancy. The BECCA bill assists parents and the school in keeping students in school with the support of the juvenile court system, police and outside agencies.

If your student has patterns of excessive absences and tardies, a member of the attendance team will connect with them. A communication will be sent home to families. If progress is not made, other strategies and connections will be made with students and families to support the student’s barriers and needs.

Students will receive Reflection Time for every 2 unexcused absences and/or 4 tardies. If your student receives Reflection Time, a communication will be sent by the Coordinator to the student and family.

You can view your student’s attendance record on Qmlativ. When viewing your student’s attendance record, you may see the following markings:

Need ParentSquare support? Click Here: ParentSquare

Need Qmlativ support? Click Here: Qmlativ

In the event that a student needs to withdraw from school, the parents of the student need to contact the MIHS Registrar at 206-236-4513. The Registrar will guide the parents and student through the withdrawal process. This is not for reporting absences!