This Notification Trigger sends one email to parents and admins when a student reaches a specified absence threshold in the current semester. It uses the new period-aware quota controls so the email goes out exactly once per threshold per student per semester, not every day.

When to use

Schools often want to notify parents and admins when a student crosses an absence threshold: for example, 5 absences, 7 absences, 9 absences. Build one trigger per threshold, each pointing at the matching saved filter from FAQ: Configuring Absence Threshold Filter.

Steps

• Navigate to Home > Notifications > Notification Triggers.
• Click New to start a new trigger.
• Fill the standard top-of-form fields:
  • Category: the schedulable attendance trigger type (the entry that exposes the Send Rate controls in Custom Settings).
  • Name: a clear name such as "Absence Alert 5 in Semester".
  • Is Active: checked.
  • Recipient / Data Relationship: Parent-Child (parents receive the alert; admins are added via the role list at the bottom of the form).
• Set the filters:
  • Eligible Recipients Filter (User): the saved user filter for parents and admin recipients.
  • Merge Filter: the absence threshold filter from FAQ: Configuring Absence Threshold Filter, for example "Absences 5 or More, Current Semester".
• Pick the absence alert Email Template.

Send Rate Settings

These controls (introduced in Update: Notification Triggers, Now on Your School's Calendar) cap the trigger so each student receives exactly one email per threshold per semester:

• Send Rate: Daily. The job evaluates each day, and the caps below prevent daily sending.
• Minimum days between fires: 30. This is a per-student frequency floor that prevents repeat sends if a student's count momentarily flickers.
• Maximum fires per: Semester. Pick Academic Year instead if you would rather cap once per year across both semesters.
• Maximum number of fires: 1.
• School division for period: required when Maximum fires per is Semester or Marking Period. Pick the appropriate division. The dropdown is hidden for Academic Year and Don't limit.

Note: If you pick Semester or Marking Period without selecting a School division for period, the save is blocked with the message "Pick a school division - required when 'Maximum fires per' is Semester or Marking Period."

Visible for Roles

At the bottom of the form, check the admin role(s) that should also see the notification in their inbox.

Save and repeat

Click Save. To create the trigger for 7, 9, and higher thresholds, clone the trigger and change only:

• The trigger Name (for example, "Absence Alert 7 in Semester").
• The Merge Filter selection (point at the matching saved filter for that threshold).

Send Rate, Minimum days between fires, Maximum fires per, Maximum number of fires, and School division for period stay identical across thresholds.

How the period scoping works

The trigger's Maximum fires per: Semester cap counts fires within the boundaries of the selected School division for period's marking-period and semester calendar. When the semester turns over, the per-student counter resets and the trigger is eligible to fire again on the new semester.

This works in tandem with the Merge Filter from FAQ: Configuring Absence Threshold Filter, which uses Division Calendar to scope the absence count itself to the current semester.

Together: the filter answers "does this student have 5 or more absences in the current semester," and the trigger answers "should we send the email now, or have we already sent it this semester."

Notes

The trigger evaluates daily because Send Rate is set to Daily, but the Maximum fires per: Semester cap and the Minimum days between fires floor ensure that any given student receives at most one email per threshold per semester.

If a customer wants a less aggressive cadence (for example, two reminders per semester instead of one), increase Maximum number of fires accordingly and adjust Minimum days between fires so the reminders are spaced appropriately.