Parent Resources

ATTENDANCE

As required by The New York State Education Department and The Pine Plains Central School District Board of Education policies, regular attendance, full-day attendance, and punctuality are necessary to ensure each child’s success in school. Absenteeism has been statistically demonstrated to negatively impact achievement, and inhibits the development of responsible work habits during early school years, as well as later in life.  Polices in place which, in part, require each school and school personnel to actively monitor and encourage each child and family to achieve consistent student attendance.   Every effort will be made to work with families to rectify an attendance concern. Schools also must consider the number of times a child is late to school and/or leaves early, for these, too, may negatively impact academic progress.  If significant progress on regular school attendance is not made, however, school and district personnel have the respon­sibility to seek support from appropriate outside personnel and agencies. 

Examples of absences that may be considered as excused with written parent/guardian documentation, include:

1.    Personal illness

2.    Death in the immediate family

3.    Religious observance

4.    Required attendance in court

5.  Approved school-sponsored activities, including field trips, interscholastic athletics, musical or other competitions

6.    Directed or authorized presence at the Administrative Offices, Nurse's Office, Counseling, Music lesson, etc.

7.    Quarantine

8.    Emergency and/or required dental and medical appointments

Unexcused absences must be recorded when a student is absent with the knowledge and consent of his/her parent for reasons other than those that are considered excusable.  Examples include:

1.    Vacation

2.    Shopping

3.    Needed at home

4.    Caring for sibling(s)

5.    Overslept

The NYS Education Department collects information as to the number of unexcused absences that occur for each school and the district as a whole. 

Parents/guardians should contact the school by 10:00 a.m. each day that a child is absent.  If the school has not been contacted by that time, school personnel will attempt to contact you to confirm that you are aware that your child is absent.

Parents/guardians must notify the school nurse directly if your child has a communicable condition such as chicken pox, strep throat, hepatitis, head lice, flu, “pink eye”, etc. 

Regulations also require that a signed, written note stating the reason for a child’s absence be submitted, even when phone or other contact has been made the day absence occurs.  Upon return from an absence, students should report to class with a written excuse from a parent/guardian.