Attendance Policy & Procedures

Absence Notifications: Schools must be notified of absences and reasons on a daily basis. We request that parents contact the school thirty (30) minutes prior to school starting if their child will miss school due to illness, family emergencies, or other excused reasons. For upcoming or pre-scheduled absences, feel free to contact the Image Office prior to the absence. Please include your student's first and last name, date of absence, and reason for absence when excusing your student from school.

You can excuse absences by:

• Calling the Image Attendance Hotline at 360-604-6859 and leave a voicemail

• Emailing the Image Attendance Office at attendance_image@evergreenps.org

• Calling the Image Office at 360-604-6850 between 8:00am-4:00pm and speak with a secretary

• Sending a ParentSquare message to Image, or replying to ParentSquare absence notifications

• Providing written notification to Image's office

• Logging the absence through Skyward Family Access

• In Person at the Image Office

Parents/guardians can contact Image within three (3) business days of the absence to excuse it. Any absence not excused within three (3) days will not be excused at a later day unless approved by an administrator. Absences of five (5) days or more due to illness or other health conditions require a note from a doctor or appropriate medical provider.

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Early Dismissal:  A parent or guardian must sign out the student in the office, and may be asked to present identification. Image’s early dismissal cut-off time is 15 minutes before the end of the school day. Please note that leaving school early will result in a tardy, and will be reflected in the student’s attendance record.

Late Arrival/Tardy:  Students arriving at or after the last bell at 8:45am are required to check at the school office. Parents/guardians should accompany their child to the office to sign them into school. Please note that arriving to school late will result in a tardy, and will be reflected in the student’s attendance record.

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In Washington, student attendance is governed by the "Becca Bill", a state law that requires children between 8 and 18 years old to attend public school regularly, with few exceptions (RCW 28A.225.010). If a parent or guardian enrolls a child at 6 or 7 years of age, the child is required by law to attend the full school session (RCW 28A.225.015). To ensure compliance, the Evergreen Public Schools takes regular attendance in each school and has set a policy for excused and unexcused absences. The Becca Bill also holds schools and parents accountable for ensuring children attend school. 

Based on this law, Image's Attendance Procedures are:

1. Parents/guardians are notified of their student's absence via phone call or email, on the day of the absence. Automated Calls, Emails, and ParentSquare messages are sent out. The list for these notifications is generated at 9:10am and cannot be altered after this time. Our Parent Notification Clerk starts making calls at 10:00am to help determine reasons for student absences. 

2. Letter are generated and sent home for unexcused absences at the following thresholds: 3, 5, 7, 10, 15, and 20 days.

3. At the 5 day threshold, Image will attempt to contact the parent/guardian of the student to conduct a required conference meeting to identify attendance barriers, help provide resources, and develop a plan of action to improve attendance. We may also ask the student to complete a questionnaire to help determine their feelings about school and how we can help. The Attendance Agreement Action Plan is completed at this conference meeting, and a copy is sent home.

4. Student attendance is closely monitored up to and after the 7, 10, 15, and 20 day absence thresholds by Image's Attendance Team, and the EPS Attendance Office. Further actions could include referral to the Community Engagement Board, and filing a petition with juvenile truancy court.

If you receive communication from Image Elementary about scheduling a conference, please contact us at your earliest convenience to resolve the matter. For more information, please visit the Evergreen Public School Website to review the district's attendance policy EPS Attendance Department. We also recommend reviewing the EPS Student/Parent Handbook EPS Parent/Student Handbook.

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