To enhance our existing safe arrival process for reporting student absences from school, we are excited to pilot a new, more efficient student absence reporting system called SafeArrival. This new system will help improve student safety, reduce the time it takes to verify student attendance, make it easy for you to report your student’s absence and easy for staff to respond to unexplained student absences.
Starting Tuesday, March 5, 2024, please report absences in advance using SafeArrival instead of sending notes or calling/emailing the school. Our staff will be using the SafeArrival notifications to let you know if your student is absent (when you haven’t reported the absence in advance).
With SafeArrival, you will be asked to report your student’s full-day, late and/or multiple day absence in advance using any of the following convenient methods:
Please note once you have created an account, it may be used in either platform – mobile and website. Please also note you will not see the link to report an absence using the SchoolMessenger App or SchoolMessenger website until it is activated on Monday afternoon, March 4, 2024.
1. Create an account using either the SchoolMessenger App or SchoolMessenger website.
a. From a Mobile Device (Free SchoolMessenger App)
Using your mobile device, download and install the free SchoolMessenger App from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store (or from the links at https://go.schoolmessenger.ca/).
Select Sign Up then select Attendance then Report an Absence.
OR
b. From the SchoolMessenger (SafeArrival) Website -https://go.schoolmessenger.ca.
Select Sign Up then select Attendance then Report an Absence.
2. Interactive Toll-free Phone Number
Call the toll-free number 1-833-680-8740 to report an absence using the automated phone system.
Absences may be reported in advance:
- up to 9:00 a.m. on the day of your student’s absence;
- 24 hours/day;
- 7 days a week; and
- for any school day during the current school year.
What happens if I don’t report my student’s absence?
We will use the SchoolMessenger Communicate automated notification system to contact parents/guardians whose student is absent when the absence was not reported in advance.
The automated notification system will repeatedly attempt to contact you at multiple contact points (email, text message or automated phone call) until you have submitted a reason for the absence.
If our system is unable to reach the designated contacts you have provided to the school, office staff will follow up. As we have been doing when direct follow-up contact with parents/guardians cannot be reasonably made, we will then determine appropriate action. This may involve contact with the RCMP.
If you report your student’s absence in advance using the SafeArrival toll-free number, website or App, you will NOT receive these notifications. If you do not want to receive notifications when your student is absent, please be sure to report their absence in advance.
If you have students attending other schools in the SRCE, please continue to report absences using their current attendance reporting process. You will receive information from other schools when they are implementing SafeArrival.
Please also refer to the following supporting documents:
SRCE SafeArrival Family FAQ
SafeArrival: Student Absence Reporting System Infographic
Thank you for your support and cooperation as we implement this new system.