Attendance

Absent

On the days that your student is sick: Call our attendance line, which is 24/7. Leave a message with the following information:

Student’s name and grade
Date the student is sick
Reason for not attending school (ex: sick, traveling)
Parent name and phone #

Students are allowed six (6) absences per class period during the semester. Students who receive seven (7) absences in any class will be at risk to lose credit. Verbal communication must come from a parent/guardian within 48 hours of the absence..

Students who are ill should not return to school until they are fever and symptom free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication. Absences due to medical/dental/counseling appointments will be waived with a note from the physician. All parent-excused absences will be counted as part of the 6 absences allowed per semester.

If your student will be absent without a medical excuse note, or because they will be traveling, please contact the office for a Planned Absence/Independent Study form or print and sign from this link.

Late Arrival/Tardy

Students who arrive to school late should check in the office for a pass to class. If you know your student will be late please call the main office indicating that the student will be arriving late. Include grade, reason for the late arrival and expected time of arrival. If the student is at a medical appointment, ask for a school excuse note before leaving the appointment. The student will check in at the office before going to class. Students receiving 3 or more unexcused tardies will receive lunch detention.

Early Release Information

When a student has an appointment during school hours requiring an early release, parents must come to the office to check out their students. Medical appointments will be waived (WAI) with a note from the medical office. Students must bring the note to the school office in order to waive the time out of school.

A student cannot just tell their teachers they are leaving for the day: They must be checked out on the office Raptor Kiosk. Students must have a dismissal slip from the office, in order to be excused from class.

Calling ahead to dismiss your student is NOT allowed. For the safety of our students, parents/guardians must come to the main office with their government-issued ID to check their student out of school. After scanning your identification, a dismissal pass will be sent for your student to call them to the office.

Please allow a few extra minutes for your student to be ready for you: Please keep in mind that the teacher will not release your student until a call slip sends for your student. We recommend adding 5 minutes prior to the time you want your student in the office. This will allow your student some time to pack up his/her supplies, stop at locker (if they need to), and head to the office after you arrive and have verified your ID.

We have two different lunch times: It may take some time to track down your student, if they are going to leave during their lunch time. We encourage you to let your student know that they may be leaving during their lunch time. You may be required to check in as a visitor to go to the cafeteria to locate your student.

When Returning to School on the same day: Please remember to have your student check-in with the office. If necessary: Bring any medical notes in order to get your student’s absence waived, and place the note in the drop off basket in front of the attendance desk. Medical notes can also be faxed to 208-350-4071. Your student will continue to be marked absent, until they are checked in on our system.

Person picking up student during school: If someone other than a parent is picking up your student, please let us know ahead of time. We can only release students to those listed in Powerschool. Please review your Powerschool information to make sure that your contacts are up to date.

Extracurricular Activities

Middle school students must be in attendance at school the entire school day in order to participate in extracurricular activities after school in in the evening of that same day. Exceptions include situations beyond the control of the student such as court appearance, bereavement, medical/dental appointments, etc. Students, who are suspended, including in-school suspension for a major discipline offence, are not allowed to practice or participate in school activities that day.

Trips

If a family trip is planned during the school year, a few steps are needed to ensure that all teachers and staff are aware of the student’s location:

Contact the attendance office (208) 350-4071 to request a Planned Absence/Independent Study form.
Provide the student’s name, grade and dates of absence.
Your student will show their Planned Absence/Independent Study form to each teacher. The teacher will write assignments on this form.
The form will go home with the student for the parent’s signature.
The student will return the form to the attendance secretary.

The days out of school will count against the allowed six (6) absences per semester. The West Ada School District maintains that academic success is directly attributed to maintaining regular attendance throughout the school year.

Lowell Scott Middle School

Attendance