Student Attendance Guidelines

Student Attendance Guidelines

As a result of the COVID Emergency Period, so much has changed in our service delivery to our students. All these changes can be confusing for families and staff alike. Remote services are certainly more challenging to deliver as all our students require an adult to be by their side assisting them to participate meaningfully. We understand how difficult this level of supervision may be to arrange in your home throughout the week. Our responsibility is to offer your child daily meaningful educational opportunities whether in person or learning remotely.

Some things have not changed
1. Good attendance remains essential for your child’s continued progress
2. Please report your child’s absence as soon as possible by email or phone. (Kingston extension 400)
3. We want to work with you to make learning opportunities successful for your child.
4. We have a daily responsibility to record whether a student is present or absent.
5. We are required to notify School Districts and Counties (for preschoolers) of chronic low attendance.
6.  The School Districts and Counties are responsible for deciding if student attendance is adequate.
7.  Low student attendance may result in a CSE/CPSE meeting to discuss a possible change in placement.

The following are considered excused absences:
1. Student or caregiver illness
2. Family medical/dental appointments
3.  Poor connectivity in a Zoom session
4.  Quarantining to prevent viral spread
5. Legal appointments (ex. court appearance)
6. Religious observation

Delivery of services
As you can imagine, scheduling service delivery for every child has become very complicated with some students in part week and others remaining remote. Even when students are in school, we are still offering remote sessions to other students.

1. If you cannot participate in ongoing regularly scheduled remote sessions, you can request that we post alternative assignments on Google Classroom. This will be “homework” for your child to complete with your supervision at home without our staff present (asynchronous).  For an asynchronous assignment to count as attendance for a particular day, parents must indicate the task was completed by the due date indicated on your child’s assignment.

2. When a student or staff member is home sick, we will not offer any remote services.

3.  If your child or a staff member is not ill, but quarantining to present viral spread, we will make every effort to offer sessions or assignments remotely.

Any questions, please ask your Family Service Coordinator.