Attendance

  • School attendance is vital to student academic success at all levels. Research suggests that students with good attendance records are more likely to improve academically and to graduate, compared to their peers with poor attendance records.

    If your child is going to be absent or late for any reason, you must call the nurse's office before 8:50 a.m. to report the reason for his/her absence or lateness. Please call the nurse’s office even if you have notified the teacher. You may call any time day or night and leave a message on the nurse’s office voicemail.  Messages are retrieved by 8:30 a.m. every morning.  Students returning to school after an absence must bring a note to their teacher explaining the absence.

    The nurse can be reached at 914-269-5250.  If a parent/guardian does not report an absence then the school nurse will reach out.

    We monitor student attendance in an effort to support academic and social/emotional success of all students.  At Main Street School we have an Attendance Response System which is activated when a student is tardy to school or absent for an unexcused reason and /or without acceptable documentation (i.e. a doctor’s note).

    Below is a list of steps that we implement to address attendance concerns:

    • If there are 4 tardy/absences within a marking period the classroom teacher will reach out to a parent/guardian.
    • If there are 5 tardy/absences within a marking period there will be a check-in meeting with the student and a member of the support staff.  Also, a letter from the principal will be sent home regarding the number of tardy/absences, explicitly stating the negative impact of absences on a student’s academic and social/emotional success in school.
    • If there are 6 tardy/absences within a marking period  a meeting is scheduled with the principal, support staff and the parent/guardian.  At that time, an Attendance Contract will be established among the student, parent and school.  A follow up meeting will also be scheduled.
    • If tardy/absences continue to accrue then other follow up actions may include an additional letter sent home, home visit, making up lost time due tardy/absence, assistance accessing outside resources, filing a report with Child Protective Services, etc.