Skip to main content

Willamette High School

Attendance Home

To email regarding attendance, click the image below!

A red and yellow graphic with the word 'WHAM!' in a comic book style font, with the text 'Willamette High Attendance Matters' below.

On Time, Every Day

Willamette High School has a goal that every student has a 95% attendance rate. 

To achieve this goal, a student cannot miss more than eight school days the entire year. Showing up for school, on time, every day, has a significant impact on a student’s academic success starting in kindergarten and through high school.

Even in high school, families play a key role in making sure students get to school every day. There are a number of ways families can support improved attendance:

When a student misses class, families will receive a notification that afternoon. If this happens, have a conversation with your child about the importance of attendance.

Attendance Tips

We realize some absences are unavoidable. We also know that when students miss too much school, regardless of the reason, it can cause them to fall behind. Absences can add up quickly and we don’t want your child to fall behind in school and get discouraged. Here are a few practical tips to help support regular attendance:

  • Ensure your child goes to school every day unless they are truly sick.

  • Avoid scheduling doctor’s appointments or vacations when school is in session.  If you must see a doctor, take an early or late appointment so your child can attend a large part of the school day.

  • Talk to school staff for advice if your child feels anxious about going to school.

  • Develop back-up plans for getting to school if something comes up. Call on a family member, neighbor, or another parent to take your child to school.

Instructions to log on to Home Access Center

Excusing Absences

If your child must miss school due to sickness, please notify the Attendance Office within 48 hours of the absence.  There are three ways to make the notification.  You may contact the Attendance Office by phone at 541-689-0734, message through ParentSquare or by email at WHSattendance@bethel.k12.or.us.  Please provide the following information:

  • Students full name, grade and ID number.

  • Date(s) and period(s) of absence/tardy.

  • Specific reason for absence/tardy. This must be included to confirm the absence can be excused.

  • Your name, phone # and the relationship with the student.

For medical/dental appointments scheduled during the school day, please notify the Attendance Office as soon as possible to arrange for the student to be excused from class.  Messages may be left the evening before the scheduled absence.

If you have a planned absence that will extend past three days, please pick up a Pre-Arranged Absence Request from the Attendance Office. The request needs to be completed one week prior to the first day of the absence.

Please contact us with any questions. Go Wolverines!

Tips for Teens for Attendance

  • Show up! Showing up every day is a skill that you are developing that will help you do well in class and with getting and keeping a job later on.

  • School only gets harder when you skip a class. Sometimes it’s tempting to skip or stay home because you are tired or don’t understand what’s going on in class. But missing a day only makes that worse because you aren’t learning something that will help you understand a lesson later on. Each day missed may require six hours of make up time!

  • If you think missing a day here or there won’t matter, think again. By missing just one day every two weeks, you would be on track to miss two full weeks in a semester or nearly a month of school for the year!

  • Did you know that a student who misses 10 days or more during a school year is less likely to graduate from high school and/or ever enroll in college?

  • Chronic absence can affect your ability to earn a living. Dropouts are less likely to succeed in a career. In fact, a high school graduate makes, on average, $1 million more than a dropout over a lifetime.

  • When you’re not here, teachers and administrators notice because we care about you and we want you to be successful.

  • If you’re having trouble getting to school - and have challenges such as transportation, bullies, etc. - tell someone, such as a teacher, guidance counselor or your family. Many schools offer services to help the whole family.