Welcome from Dr. Barbara A. Russell
 Leaders must “first seek to understand, then to be understood.” – Stephen Covey I hope the school year is off to a great start! The District's annual Meet the Teacher Nights are underway and in addition to the academic information you receive on this night, there are several State and district-wide updates I would like to provide. These updates will be incorporated into District policies and implemented this year. Additional detail on all topics can be found under the Parents tab on the homepage. Attendance In November 2016, Governor Wolf signed into law new school attendance provisions. Act 138 of 2016, rewrites a substantial portion of the Public School Code that addresses unexcused absences and truancy. These new provisions are in effect beginning with the 2017-2018 school year. Essentially, if a student is absent without a note from a parent/guardian citing an acceptable reason (per the Student Handbook) the absence is classified as unexcused. If students accumulate three unexcused absences, they are considered “truant.” Six days or more of unexcused absences is considered “habitually truant” and subject to consequences that may include the filing of a citation in district court. When students accumulate 10 total days of absence, excused or unexcused, the District requires a note from a doctor for any subsequent absences. As part of the new legislation, the State is encouraging schools and families to work together in understanding unexcused absences and how students can be supported when they struggle with attendance, for any reason. The school district will develop a “Student Attendance Improvement Plan” in its efforts to address attendance issues. For more information, click on Attendance Guidelines under the Parents tab. Immunizations Updates from the State require our students to have all required immunizations within 5 (five) days of the first day of a new school year. In the past, school districts had a longer period of time to work with families on obtaining the required immunizations. In response to the shorter “grace period,” the District has posted information about which immunizations are required in what grade, and where they can be obtained, i.e., family doctor or various clinics. This information can be found on the News from Around the District section on the homepage of pvsd.org. Online Registration Verification As we have conducted in past years, we will once again be prompting our families to verify the demographic/registration information we have on file for their child(ren). This will be completed through our Home Access Center (HAC). In addition to verifying the information and/or informing our registrar of changes, we will be posing questions regarding the acceptable use policy (AUP) our students are expected to uphold, policy 815. Thank you in advance for your attention to this updated information. The goal of the Perkiomen Valley School District is to engage students in school and inspire them to learn in a positive and healthy school setting. We desire to work with our families in any of the areas that impact our students attending school on a regular basis. Feel free to reach out to your building principal with any questions or concerns. Have a wonderful school year! Sincerely, Dr. Barbara A. Russell Superintendent, Perkiomen Valley School District We inspire students! Please enjoy this video from the Aug. 23 Opening Day ceremony held with faculty and staff. We look forward to a great school year! Superintendent's Minute Each month as part of my report to the Board of School Directors, I share a minute of video/photo footage to illustrate what's going on around our district. September's edition focuses upon the start of a new school year. Enjoy! Social Media |
Superintendent's Snapshot
JOIN US FOR THE NEXT SUPERINTENDENT'S ROUNDTABLE!  All residents in the Perkiomen Valley School District are invited to attend a Superintendent's Roundtable discussion. These informal discussions are an effective way for parents and community members to communicate directly with the administration of the Perkiomen Valley School District to share concerns, ideas and suggestions. Dates for the 2017-18 school year will be: Wednesday, Oct. 4 Wednesday, Jan. 24 Monday, March 19 Wednesday, May 23 Roundtables will be held at the District Office, 3 Iron Bridge Drive, Collegeville, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. If you would like to be a part of a discussion, please contact Jessica Lester at (610) 489-8506, ext. 1142 or jlester@pvsd.org. Please indicate what date you would like to attend and what schools your children attend (if applicable). |
