Attendance Office

Thomas Jefferson High School Attendance & BECCA Law

Tardy Policy (As it appears in the Student Handbook/Planner)

It is important in any educational program that students be punctual and regular in their attendance. State law also mandates attendance through the BECCA process. The education process requires continuity of instruction and classroom participation which is lost with excessive absences. Regular attendance also establishes habits of punctuality and dependability, qualities that will be valuable to students throughout their adult lives.

Home instruction is available for students with a medically prescribed confinement that will be of one month duration or longer which is verified by a physician (P & R 5113, RCW 28A.27.010). 

Attendance FAQs for TJ Families

Q: My student is/will be late to class and I want to excuse him/her.

A: Just send a note with your student when they come to school or email TJHSAttendance@fwps.org. He/she simply drops the note off at the attendance office and gets a pass to class as applicable. We no longer accept phone calls for late arrivals or early dismissals. 

Q:My student has an appointment and needs to leave or be picked up early.

A:  Send a note with your student stating their name, ID, time and reason for early release.  If they do not have a note, the person picking them up will need to come in the building with their ID.  If this person is not part of the Emergency Contact list for the student, we will be unable to release the student.  We no longer accept phone calls or email for early releases.

Q: My student is sick and needs to go home.

A:  Sick students need to go to the health room to see the nurse!  If your student calls or texts you from class saying they need to go home sick, please re-direct them to the nurse.  The nurse will call you if they need to go home and will even write up their off-campus pass.  They do need to sign out at attendance before leaving to be excused for any classes that will be missed.

Q: I received a phone call saying my student was tardy or absent, but my student says he/she was present.

A:  If the error is realized the same day it occurs, the teachers have access to make adjustments.  Students can either speak with their teacher in person or send email.  If the error isn’t discovered until the afternoon communication, the teacher will no longer have access to make adjustments.  If this is the case, have your student speak to the teacher for the class where the error in attendance took place.  The teacher will need to communicate to the Attendance Office in either an email, or if preferred, a note your student will bring back, how the attendance should be adjusted. 

When sending a note with your student, be sure to include the following information: Student name, Student ID number (if known), Parent/Guardian Name & Signature, and contact number in case the attendance office has questions.

• If a student arrives less than ten minutes late to class, they will go directly to class and will be marked tardy. Students are not required to stop at attendance if they are arriving late. Should they choose to do so, their attendance will be coded appropriately according to their arrival time. The arrival time will be noted in their attendance profile. 
• If a student arrives ten minutes after the bell has rung, they will be marked as absent, until they check in at the attendance office before going to class. Students are not required to stop at attendance if they are arriving late. Should they choose to do so, their attendance will be coded appropriately according to their arrival time. The arrival time will be noted in their attendance profile. *It is highly recommended that they stop at attendance if they are late for a reason that can be excused, and they have a note with them. 
• Students with continuous tardies or absences, excused or unexcused, may be required to attend a conference with their parents and an administrator.
• Absences not covered by a telephone call or parental note within 2 school days of the absences will be deemed unexcused.