Our Vision
Empowering students to become successful, life-long learners.

Our Mission

All Students.

All Essentials.

All the Time!

Our Commitment
We commit to creating a caring, safe environment that supports high expectations, student voice, responsibility, independence, and social-emotional competencies. Our teachers will continuously raise expectations for each student, regardless of achievement level. Teachers use clear criteria, rigorous instruction and intentional scaffolding to help students set goals, assess themselves, and respond to feedback.

Welcome to Rocky Ridge Elementary School! Our school is a special place because you will quickly learn that all of our staff work together to meet your child(ren)'s needs. During their time here, your child will have many different teachers who will push and support them through their schooling. You can expect to have regular communication from your teachers and have opportunities to guide and help the learning process as well. We believe that creating positive partnerships is the foundation to educational success and we are excited to partner with you!

When to keep your student home from school…

• Vomiting more than once in 24 hours
• Fever over 100.4 degrees, needs to be fever free for 24hrs before returning to school
• Oozing wounds
• Vomiting once combined with a temperature or diarrhea
• Unexplained rash
• Runny nose and cough combined with a temperature

If a student is found to have lice, the student's parents will be notified to remove their child from school. The student must be louse and nit free before returning to school. (Policy 3436)

When do we call home?

• Vomiting (even once)
• Fever (100.4 or higher)
• Groin, head or eye injury
• Oozing gaping wounds
• Persistent lethargy
• “Accidents”

Please make sure we have more than one way to contact you in case of an emergency and/or illness.

Medications @ School

Prescription or nonprescription medication (including cough drops) can only be taken at school if there are specific written directions from a licensed healthcare professional and signed written permission from a parent or guardian. Over-the-counter medications are not kept at school for student use. If your child requires medication during school hours, contact Nurse Jaci or Mrs. Mitchell.

• All medications taken at school require a healthcare provider order including: prescription(s), over-the-counter, lotions, & “Chapstick”.

• Both the healthcare provider & legal guardian must sign medication orders.

• Medication orders must be renewed each year.

• Medication must come properly labeled & in the original container.

• Check the expiration date. If possible, bring in the medication that doesn't expire until the last day of June.

• An inhaler may be carried by the student with permission from his/her healthcare provider AND parent permission. It must be specified that this is okay on the order form & student must demonstrate proper use to the school nurse. WA State recommends that a backup inhaler be kept in the health room if your student carries his/her own inhaler at school.

• If your student uses an inhaler at home, they should have an inhaler at school.

All Health Forms can be found at: https://www.bethelsd.org/Domain/5151

Health Room Contact Information

“Nurse Jaci” (School Nurse): 253-800-5068 or jsweet@bethelsd.org 

Mrs. Mitchell (Health Clerk): 253-800-5093 or tamitchel@bethelsd.org 

24-Hour Attendance Line: 253-800-5093

Rocky Ridge attendance policies and procedures are in accordance with Bethel School District policies.
Full language of the policies is available on the Bethel website.

Attendance and Success Go Hand-in-Hand

Here at Rocky Ridge and in the Bethel School District we are making a special effort that all students fully benefit from their education by attending school regularly. Consistent attendance will help your child(ren) do well at Rocky Ridge and beyond.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Starting in kindergarten, too many absences (excused and unexcused) can cause children to fall behind in school.

• Missing 10 percent (or about 18 days) increases the chance that your student will not read or master math at the same level as their peers.

• Being late for school may lead to poor attendance.

• Absences can affect the whole classroom if the teacher has to slow down learning to reteach.

• By 6th grade, absenteeism is one of the three signs that a student may drop out of high school.

• By 9th grade, regular and high attendance is a better predictor of graduation rates than 8th grade test scores.

WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU

• Ensure your student attends daily and is successful in school.

o Set a regular bedtime and morning routine.

o Avoid appointments and extended trips when school is in session.

o Develop a backup plan for getting to school (i.e., call on family members, neighbors, friends).

• If your student is going to be absent, please submit an absence request via ParentVUE or contact our building attendance clerk, Tanya Mitchell (253-800-5093) before or on the day of absence. If a student has not been reported absent from school, the Attendance Clerk will call home or the emergency contact numbers to establish the safety of the child. The safety and health of each student is of critical concern to us. You will also receive a robocall that day from the school by noon if we have not been notified.

• Rocky Ridge also accepts phone calls for absences or late arrivals 24 hours a day (253.800.5093 or tamitchel@bethelsd.org). If you send a note with your child, you can check your student’s attendance in ParentVue to verify that the note made it to the attendance office, and the absence has been noted.

Regular and punctual attendance is a habit directly related to student success. Students need to attend school every day if our staff are to do their best job of educating our students. Good attendance is also state law! Guardians/parents are responsible for sending their children to school, to make sure their children are in school on time each day; to encourage their children to come to school with a mental attitude which fosters learning, to communicate accurately with the school concerning their child’s attendance.

• Students arriving for school late will go directly to the Attendance/Health Room.

• If your child is leaving school before dismissal time (3:05pm), parents/guardians must sign their student out through the main office.

• If you are planning for upcoming absences extending more than 2 days, make sure to get a “Pre-arranged Absence form’’ from the attendance office. The principal may or may not excuse the absence depending on various circumstances.

• Students will make-up all the work and tests determined by their teacher. It is the student’s and guardian’s responsibility to check with the teacher about work that is to be made up and when work is to be turned in.

• Parents/guardians are encouraged to view ParentVue to report absences and to view absences.

OUR PROMISE

There are many staff members at Rocky Ridge that are prepared to help with attendance. We promise to track attendance daily, to notice when your student is missing from class, communicate with you to understand why they were absent and to identify barriers to support you in overcoming challenges you may face in helping your student attend school. Our social worker, attendance clerk, and/or assistant principal support attendance at the building level. Do not hesitate if you have specific questions or need support.

If you would like to meet with our assistant principal (Mrs. Kaasa) regarding your student’s attendance and/or learn more about how we can help you with your student’s academic success, please email Mrs. Kaasa at mkaasa@bethelsd.org or call our office at 253-800-5000.

 

STATE LAWS AND SCHOOL POLICIES

It is vital that you understand Bethel School District Policies and Procedures, as well as the Washington State Law. The Becca Bill requires children ages 8 to 17 to attend a public school, private school, or a district approved homeschool program. Children that are 6 or 7 years-old are not required to be enrolled in school. However, if parents enroll their child who is between 6 and 7 years old, the student must attend full-time.

Rocky Ridge is required to take daily attendance and notify you when your student has an unexcused absence.

Absences

Per school board policy 3122,

• THREE UNEXCUSED ABSENCES in one month, state law (RCW 28A.225.020), requires a scheduled conference with you and your student to identify the barriers and support available to ensure regular attendance. The district is obligated to develop a plan that may require an assessment to determine how to meet the needs of your students and reduce absenteeism.

• FIVE EXCUSED ABSENCES in a month and/or TEN+ EXCUSED ABSENCES accumulated in a school year requires at least one district employee to identify the barriers and support available to you and your student. A meeting is not required if your student provides a medical note, a signed prearranged absence, or if the parent, student and school have made a plan. If your student has a IEP or 504 Plan, the team that created the plan will need to possibly reconvene.

• SEVEN UNEXCUSED ABSENCES in a month or FIFTEEN UNEXCUSED ABSENCES accumulated within the school year, requires a petition to be filed with Pierce County Juvenile Court, alleging a violation of RCW28A.225.010, the mandatory attendance laws. If your student continues to be truant, you may be required to appear in court.

If a student has frequent absences, parents may be required to provide a doctor’s note. Once doctor verification is required, all absences for illnesses will remain unexcused until documentation is provided. This means that documentation is required if your child is gone for ANY illness, injury, or appointment. You can always send the student to school and have our nurse/health clerk verify the student is well enough to stay (if a medical appointment cannot be arranged).

EXCUSED ABSENCES- BOARD POLICY 3122

Be sure your student attends school unless the absence meets one of the following criteria:

• Participation in a district or school approved activity or instructional program;

• Illness, health condition, or medical appointment (including but not limited to medical, counseling, dental, or optometry) for the student or person for whom the student is legally responsible;

• Family emergency, including but not limited to a death or illness in the family;

• Religious or cultural purpose including observance of a religious or cultural holiday or participation in religious or cultural instruction;

• Court, judicial proceeding or serving on a jury;

• Post-secondary, technical school or apprenticeship program visitation or scholarship interview;

• State-recognized search and rescue activities consistent with RCW28A.225.055;

• Absence directly related to the student’s homeless status;

• Absences related to deployment activities of parent or legal guardian who is an active-duty member consistent with

RCW.28A.705.010;

• Absence resulting from disciplinary/corrective action (e.g., short-term or long-term suspension, emergency expulsion); and

• Principal/ Assistant Principal (or designee) and parent, guardian, or emancipated youth mutually agreed upon approved activity.

 

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Attendance and Truancy Legal Requirements > Elementary Students