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Nothing is more important than your child's safety and well-being. If a student will be absent or late, families need to notify school staff. Please report a student absent or late using SafeArrival instead of sending notes or calling/emailing the school. 

Why the New System?

SafeArrival provides important information to school staff more quickly and efficiently than other methods so schools can also follow up quickly on any unexplained absences or late arrivals.

This new system reduces the time it takes to verify student attendance, is easy for families to use and provides choices in how you prefer to report an absence or late arrival and be notified if a student is late or absent without explanation.

How to Sign Up

Families can now report an absence or late arrival using the SM Home app provided by SchoolMessenger, a digital communication platform used by school districts across B.C. and Canada. Within this app is the SafeArrival reporting tool. 

SafeArrival provides you with the option to report your child’s absence in advance using one of three methods:

  1. Using your mobile device, download and install the SM Home app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store (or at the SchoolMessenger site go.schoolmessenger.ca). Please note that the SM Home app you want shows a mutli-coloured square tipped on its edge, not a stylized blue square which is a different app from the same provider and not the one you want. The first time you use the app, select >Sign Up to create your account. Select >Attendance then >Report an Absence. 

  1. Go to the SafeArrival website, go.schoolmessenger.ca and select >Sign Up to create your account. Select >Attendance then >Report an Absence.
  2. Call the toll-free number (833) 309-1246 to report an absence using the automated phone system.

You can also open or download further SM Home App instructions in this SchoolMessenger Instructional PDF or in the SafeArrival Frequently Asked Question PDF.

These options are available 24 hours/day, 7 days a week. Future absences can be reported at any time. 

 

What Do I Do Now?

  1. Download the SM Home app
  2. Create an account at the website go.schoolmessenger.ca

If you have Texted “Y” to 978338 you have set your default in the system to receive communication by text.

If you do not create an account, the default will be an automated phone call.

 

Privacy is Paramount

SchoolMessenger Home and other SchoolMessenger features are configured to meet privacy requirements of the B.C. Freedom of Information and Privacy Act (FIPPA), and SD8’s Privacy Management Program. If you have any questions about privacy, please contact our SD8 Privacy Officer.

Questions or comments? 

Please email SD8, or call the district at 250-352-6681 and your email or call will be directed to staff for follow up. 

Thank you for reporting your child's absence or late arrival in advance, and thank you for helping schools ensure each student is accounted for and arrives safely to school every day.