Common Questions

If a student misses school or is late due to an excused absence, a parent/guardian needs to call the Hamilton Attendance Office at 252.5814 on the morning of each missed day or late arrival. Upon returning to school, your student needs to bring a note signed by a parent/guardian with the student’s full name, the date(s) and the reason(s) for absence or tardiness. The student must take the note to the Attendance Office before going to class.

If you know ahead of time that your child will have an excused absence lasting a week or more, you need to send a letter to the Attendance Office before your child is absent.

Our Attendance Secretary, Lynn Hartung, is in the SW corner on the first floor, Room 105C. Her telephone number is 252-5814. Elizabeth Peila is the Registrar and she is also located in the SW corner on the first floor in Room 105A. Her phone number is 252-5832.

If you are taking your child out of school for a doctor or dentist appointment, etc., please give them a note (with your full name, telephone number, signature, the date, and the reason) to take to the Attendance Office before school starts.

The Attendance Office will give your child an Early Dismissal slip. Students must check out of school at the Attendance Office before leaving the building even when they have an Early Dismissal slip.

When your child returns to school, they need to get a pass from the Attendance Office in order to return to class.

If your child gets sick during the school day, the nurse or other school staff will contact you.

Students are not allowed to leave school property unless they have permission from the Attendance Office, nurse, or administrator.

Family members are welcome at HIMS. If you want to talk with a teacher, please contact the teacher for an appointment. Family members need to call ahead if they want to visit a class. Please remember to check in at the Main Office when you get to the school.

Students may ride scooters and skateboards to school. The student must carry the scooter/skateboard on school property, and it must be stored in the student’s locker during the school day. Scooters/skateboards can only be taken on the (yellow) school bus in a bag which covers the wheels. Bicycles must be parked at the bike racks which are on the SE side of the building. Students should have their own bike lock and use it.

Breakfast is served daily in the Lunchroom from 7:30 to 7:55 AM. The three 30 minute lunchtimes are scheduled between 11:15 AM and 12:45 PM. A student’s assigned lunchtime depends on their grade and class schedule (almost all 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students have lunch with students in their grade level).

Breakfast costs $2.00 and lunch costs $3.00. (For families who qualify as low-income, there is NO CHARGE for school meals this year. Low-income family applications are mailed out during the summer, and are available in the Main Office and from the Lunchroom staff.) Students can either pay for their food each day or pay ahead. To pay ahead, your child needs to bring a check made out to “HIMS” and give it to the Lunchroom Manager. If students bring a lunch from home they can buy milk in the lunchroom for $ .50.

Seattle School District policy says that in middle school all backpacks, athletic bags, and purses must be placed in student lockers. For safety reasons, these items are not allowed in the halls or classrooms during the school day.

All students need to be safe and ready to do their best work. That means no distracting or disruptive clothing: no hats or gang-related head coverings, no sagging pants, no halter tops, no spaghetti straps, no see-through tops, no short skirts or shorts (shorter than fingertip length). Heavy coats belong in your locker. Please do not bring any perfumes or colognes. They make some people very sick and are against our school\\\’s no-fragrance policy.

Please contact Seattle Public Schools Transportation Office – 206.252.0900 or transdept@seattleschools.org. Hours are Monday-Friday, 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

The Seattle School District Transportation Office decides about bus routes, times, and who can ride a bus, and which bus they ride on. If you have questions, please call the above number. You can ask other bus questions at the Hamilton Attendance Office.