Attendance
FAQ’s
How do I report an absence for my student?
Absences for illness or preplanned absences of less than 3 days: Submit request via Skyward Portal, through our online form (above), by calling our Attendance Office at 360-354-4401 ext 3233, or by sending e-mail to LHS-Attendance@lynden.wednet.edu. Note, all absence submissions will be verified.
Preplanned absence of 3 or more days: Complete and submit the District’s School Absence Request Form. District Extended Absence Form
This form requires student to discuss the pending absence with teachers, teachers sign off prior to student absence, and form is returned to the Attendance Office.
How are parents/guardians notified when a student is absent?
Each day the Lynden School District notification system will call the designated primary guardian for each student that is absent to one or more class periods. Parents/Guardians are also highly encouraged to utilize their Skyward account to access your student’s full attendance records.
Does my student need a note if they are late to school?
Yes. Students will need a note if they are late to school. The note should include student name, late reason, parent name, parent contact information, and parent signature.
What if I know my student was at school but they were marked absent?
Teachers do their best to keep accurate attendance records. However, we encourage students to check their attendance regularly to ensure a mistake has not been made. Parents can also check their student attendance records in the Skyward portal. This will help catch any errors in attendance early.
If you find an error in attendance, please contact our Attendance Office at 360-354-4401 ext 3233.
Why do I still get an automated call when my student arrives late or I check them out early?
Skyward generates calls automatically based on classroom attendance submitted by teachers. Changes made to the attendance record may not reflect updated until after the phone call request is generated. Official absence records for your student may be found in Skyward.
Please don’t hesitate to contact our Attendance Office at 360-354-4401 ext 3233 to verify if your student arrived late or missed class.
My student was out for a school sponsored activity/sport/club, why did I still receive a call about an absence?
School sponsored activities can only be cleared by school officials and are documented at the end of the school day when attendance for the field trip is submitted by the sponsor. Occasionally teachers will have marked a student absent from class before the records are reconciled. This prompts an automated call to the student parent/guardian.
Missed class for school sponsored activities does not count as an absence for students.
How do I take my student out of school early?
Early Leave: The student must bring a signed note requesting to leave early to the Attendance Office before the start of the school day on the day of early leave. The note MUST include the student name, reason for leaving, time of departure, contact info for parent/guardian, and parent signature. Early leave will be verified prior to releasing the student.
Early leave due to illness: Should a student become ill during the school day, the student’s family will be contacted and the student will receive a pass to leave early when appropriate.
What if there is something happening in our family impacting my student’s attendance?
We understand that sometimes there are circumstances that may be impacting regular school attendance so please schedule an appointment with your child’s counselor to discuss possible solutions and/or alternatives.
