Olalla Elementary School has reached a major milestone, earning its first school-wide reward for 95% or better attendance.

Principal Ted Macomber believes the school’s positive culture is the key. “Part of that positivity is making school a place kids actually want to go,” Macomber said. “We try to do fun things like just recently we had a bubble party, which is what the kids were working towards.”

Macomber hopes that Olalla’s strategies can inspire other schools in the South Kitsap School District to improve attendance. “Ultimately, the reason we are doing this is because it improves student achievement,” he said. “The research around this is not ambiguous at all—students who attend school regularly are outperforming those who have chronic absenteeism.”

That aligns with the SKSD’s strategic plan, which prioritizes improving attendance as a fundamental goal, recognizing its role in academic success.

Macomber emphasized the importance of teamwork, noting that the school’s attendance team plays a critical role. The team includes instructional specialist Amy Sherburn, office coordinator Jennifer Hubbell, school counselor Kimberly Miklas and Macomber.

“We meet every other Friday, and we take a look at what kids are falling into chronic absenteeism—anything more than 10% absent,” Macomber said. The team works directly with students and families to understand the barriers to attendance and provide support. For example, something as simple as distributing alarm clocks has helped students overcome morning struggles.

A pivotal moment in the school’s attendance improvement came when Sherburn attended Champs Training, a program that shifted how Macomber and the staff approached attendance.

“Prior to that training, I really viewed attendance as something that happened to the school and not something we could directly influence,” Macomber said. Like many school administrators, he saw attendance as primarily a parent issue—something out of the school’s control. “That was a very naive position to have because there are a ton of things that schools can do to create a space that demonstrates how important attendance is,” he said.

Champs Training emphasized that schools play a vital role in shaping attendance habits by building a welcoming, engaging environment for students.

“Since that training, we’ve been on a journey to foster a culture here at Olalla that prioritizes attendance and shows students how essential it is,” Macomber said.

Sherburn’s enthusiasm after the training helped kickstart a series of initiatives aimed at building attendance incentives that kids would want to work toward, from field trips to special lunches.

The school’s initiatives don’t stop with rewards. Macomber shared that student feedback has been a significant component in designing the incentives. Recently, students with strong attendance records were treated to a backstage tour of Lumen Field in Seattle, where the Seahawks play. That’s an experience that included access to areas the average person wouldn’t get to experience.

“Every reward we offer for attendance is a product of a kid’s recommendation,” Macomber said.

Monthly attendance lunches are also a hit, with music, laser lights, and staff karaoke adding excitement to the otherwise ordinary lunch routine.

A unique aspect of the lunches is the involvement of first responders, state troopers, the sheriff’s office, and other local law enforcement. Their presence adds excitement and fosters relationships between students and community members in uniform. “They get to ask questions, take pictures, and see them as friendly, supportive figures in their lives,” Macomber said.

Parental and community engagement have also played a critical role. Macomber acknowledged that it’s a balancing act when discussing attendance with families. “We try to communicate in a way that doesn’t feel like we are trying to play Big Brother or question their commitment to school,” he said, adding the district’s strong relationships with families and community partners help foster the conversations.

As for the future, Macomber is committed to evolving the school’s approach to attendance. “If something we are doing isn’t working, we pivot and try something else,” he said. “We know students need to be present in order to be powerful.”

Olalla Elementary School looks forward to more bubbling achievements ahead.