24-Hour Absence Report Phone Number: 518-207-2494 (or email WebberMa@egcsd.org)
Dear Parent or Guardian,
We welcome your child to Howard L. Goff Middle School!
Only parents or legal guardians, as indicated on the Student Information Card, may verify absences or have students released from school. We must have information in writing regarding the person(s) legally responsible for the student in the absence of parents or guardians.
We ask the parent or guardian to call the school on the morning of the day your child will be absent. The telephone number is 518-207-2494. Please place this number in a strategic location. This number may be used 24 hours a day. When you call 518-207-2494, you may hear a recorded message. When the recording ends, please respond with the following information:
- Your name
- Your relationship to the student
- Student’s FULL name, FIRST AND LAST NAME, and grade
- Reason for the absence, and
- Possible length of the absence, if known.
Since voicemail is available on a 24-hour basis, you may call Howard L. Goff Middle School any time to report an absence. Early calls are appreciated. If you fail to call in an absence, our attendance clerk may attempt to email you later in the day.
When you call in or are contacted by our attendance clerk, you are still required to send in a written note. All excused absences, tardies or permissions to leave early require a legal written note from the parent/guardian. The excuse must include the date/time of absence, student’s full name including the student’s LAST name, reason for absence, tardiness or early departure, and parent/guardian signature. Your student must bring an absence note to his/her Home Base Teacher no later than five (5) days after they were absent. Please note, per school policy, we can only accept ten (10) parent-written notes for the school year. Legal or medical documentation must be provided after the ten (10) day limit has been reached.
Following an absence due to an injury or serious illness, the parent/guardian must provide the Health Office with written documentation of physician office visits. Please be aware that any note(s) sent in to inform us of an upcoming absence may go through different offices before it reaches the Attendance Office. This delay may result in the Attendance Office not receiving the note until after the absence date, which may still result in an email home. Therefore, it is requested that the Parent/Guardian inform Howard L. Goff Middle School via telephone of an upcoming absence and follow up with a written absence note upon return. Please be aware that it may take up to a week for any absence note credit to appear on PowerSchool.
We feel that this attendance system enables the school to have close contact with you regarding your student’s attendance. Knowing that good attendance is essential for academic success, we appreciate your cooperation and support in implementing these policies.
Sincerely,
James McHugh
Interim Principal
Howard L. Goff Middle School