Attendance
- Daily attendance, on-time arrival, and active participation in each class is critical to the learning process and preparation for workplace expectations.
- If an absence is unavoidable, it must be reported by a parent/guardian to the WANIC office within 48 hours of the missed day, otherwise it will be recorded as unexcused. A parent/guardian must excuse the absence even if the student is 18 years old. Teachers cannot record absences as excused.
- The student's home high school is not expected to contact WANIC for school-related absences, the parent/guardian must excuse the WANIC absence even if it's school-related..
- Communication must include the student's full name, date of absence, and detailed reason for absence.
- To report an absence for students attending programs located at LW Tech or Digipen, a parent/guardian must email wanic@lwsd.org or call 425-739-8400 (messages can be left 24 hours a day). For students attending satellite skill center programs at other locations, please contact that school directly.
- For students in programs located at LW Tech or DigiPen, Students missing 30 minutes or more of class time will be recorded as Absent for the whole period. They will need to make up missed work in the same way they would if they were absent for the whole period. As with any absence, a guardian needs to contact the WANIC office with a valid reason for the missed class time in order to update the record to an Excused Absence.
- Students should have their routines established to avoid late arrivals. Sleeping in or getting gas are not considered valid excuses for arriving late. Please help your students plan accordingly.
- Students may not self-dismiss before the end of class time unless this has been pre-arranged with the parent/guardian and the WANIC office or the school where the program is located. It is extremely disruptive to the teacher and classmates when we’re notified of early dismissals after class has started. We understand that emergencies can arise, but please inform the WANIC/School office within a reasonable time frame, wherever possible, to minimize this disruption.
- Students are expected to attend classes according to their WANIC program-specific calendar, even if different than their home high school. For program-specific calendars, please see district and program Calendars
WANIC Travel Period and Attendance Requirements
WANIC's funding model requires that students be scheduled with a designated travel period to allow adequate time to travel between their home high school and WANIC.
Because most participating high schools operate on a block schedule, Students, Guardians and Sending School Staff must understand that block schedule conflicts must be resolved by splitting the difference; neither the WANIC program nor the home high school is expected to accommodate the conflicts without a compromise. With prior arrangements, students may be approved to arrive late to WANIC or leave early from WANIC on one block-schedule day per week only, and only when necessary to accommodate travel time. Schools are expected to limit this single day adjustment to no more than 20 minutes of missed WANIC class at the beginning OR end of the WANIC class.
Students must have a travel period built into their schedule. Students who are scheduled in another class during their designated travel period are not eligible to participate in WANIC.
If a student's schedule does not meet these travel-period requirements, the student may be withdrawn from the program.
Important: Families should work closely with their home high school counselor to ensure that the student's schedule includes the required travel period before enrolling in WANIC.
WANIC follows an attendance policy similar to business and industry in that a student is considered an employee or a professional and is expected to be in full daily attendance in order to assure that maximum learning and productivity are achieved. Daily attendance and active participation in each class is a critical part of the learning process. The following policies and procedures are designed to help students learn responsibility and increase their potential for success. As part of recognizing the importance of this issue, parents and student are responsible for both being aware of student’s attendance and correcting any error in a timely manner.
All program instructors maintain the standards and attendance expectations for their programs. Individual teacher policies may include grade or disciplinary consequences related to attendance. Refer to teacher syllabus for specifics. Progressive discipline may be assigned for unexcused absences.
These standards teach what employers expect of their employees:
- Being dependable – Students are expected to be at school/work every day.
- Being on time – Students are expected to be prompt, not late, and ready to work.
- Doing a full day's work – Students are expected to stay on task, not leaving early or stopping work early, but complete what is expected and put materials away.
Programs at WANIC Skill Center include numerous hands-on activities which can be attained only by being in attendance. The skill application and practice in the shop or lab setting is critical to skill competency.
Absence Procedures for students enrolled in programs located at LW Tech or DigiPen:
Absences must be reported by the parent/guardian to the WANIC Office within 48 hours of the missed day. There are three ways to excuse an absence:
- A parent/guardian can email wanic@lwsd.org.
- A parent/guardian can phone 425.739.8400 (messages can be left 24 hours a day).
- A parent/guardian can send a written note, signed by the parent/guardian, directly to the WANIC office.
All attendance communication must include the student's full name, date of absence, and detailed reason for the absence and must be submitted directly to the WANIC office. Please review and for more information on State laws regarding school absences. Until a valid reason is provided, the absence will be considered unexcused. Verification from a medical professional may be required for excessive absences. It is the student’s responsibility to have their parents excuse absences on time.
Absence excuses must be communicated directly to the WANIC office. We encourage communicating to the teacher too, however, the WANIC office must hear from the parent/guardian directly in order to excuse an absence. It is not the teacher’s responsibility to relay parent messages to the office. The student's home high school does not communicate your student's excused absence so please communicate with us directly.
Emergency Release & Illness
If you become ill during the day, report to your teacher. Do not leave school for any reason without signing out or you will be considered truant.
What is an Excused Absence (Approved Absence Reasons)?
Under state law, student absences will be considered excused for the following reasons:
- The student is participating in a district- or school-approved activity;
- The student is ill or has a health condition or medical appointment;
- The student has a family emergency;
- The student is absent due to the observance of a religious or cultural holiday;
- The student is involved in a court, judicial proceeding, or is serving on a jury;
- The student is participating in a post-secondary, technical school, or apprenticeship program visitation or scholarship interview;
- The student is participating in a state-recognized search and rescue activity;
- The student is absent due to an issue directly related to their homeless status;
- The student is absent related to the deployment activities of a parent or legal guardian who is on active duty;
- The student is absent due to school discipline; or
- The student is absent due to an activity that the principal and parent mutually approve of.
School principals have the authority to determine if an absence meets any of these criteria.
More information LWSD Website: Attendance Matters to Academic Performance.
All content subject to change
Information on this website is subject to change without notice. WANIC endeavors to maintain accurate and current content; however, information may change prior to being updated on the website. We welcome notification of any discrepancies.
Pre-Arranged Extended Absence for students enrolled in programs located at LW Tech or DigiPen
Pre-Arranged Absence Form (PDF)
If it is unavoidable that your student will be missing three or more school days, you must complete the Pre-Arranged Absence Form at least one week prior to the absence. This form requires approval from both the instructor and the WANIC Director, who will consider the student's current grade, attendance record, and the impact additional absences will have on the student's academic progress. The Pre Arranged Absence form can be downloaded or picked up in the WANIC office.
We believe that students need to attend school to receive the fullest measure of educational benefit and we would like to work with you to eliminate unnecessary absences. We understand that there are legitimate reasons that a student needs to be absent and will work with you and your student when these circumstances do occur. Poor attendance may impact your student’s grade. In our effort to communicate and work together for your student’s success, grade and attendance information is available any time online through Parent Access.
Teachers are not required to provide classwork or assignments in advance of an absence.