Home & School Visitor
Department Staff
Dr. Jennifer Fields, MSW, LSW
EASD Home & School Visitor, Kindergarten - 12th Grade
Dr. Fields is the Home and School Visitor for the Elizabethtown Area School District. As part of the Social Work team, Dr. Fields works to assist students in eliminating barriers to academic success.
Job Responsibilities
One primary responsibility of the Home & School Visitor is to address attendance issues. Attendance practices are uniform for all students from Kindergarten through Grade 12, in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Department of Education mandates. Please note that legislation allows for Kindergarten students to be cited for truancy.
Practices
On a weekly basis, student attendance is monitored and tracked by the attendance staff. When a student accumulates three (3) illegal absences, the family will receive a letter indicating the dates of absence. In addition, similar letters are sent at six (6) and ten (10) illegal days. The main intent of these letters is to alert parent(s)/guardians(s) to student attendance. In addition, Dr. Fields will be working with families to determine the causes of student absences, in order to prevent truancy and subsequently truancy citations.
One of the initial steps in the process of eliminating truancy, is to complete a Truancy Elimination Plan. This is a realistic plan, created by the student, family, and Dr. Fields, which focuses on causes of absences, strengths of the student, consequences and rewards, and overall goals to accomplish. The completion of a Truancy Elimination Plan can be at the request of the school or family.
The Elizabethtown Area School District has a multitude of services available to students and families, to avoid truancy and promote academic success, and is dedicated to assisting families in all necessary areas.
Things to Know
Please refer to the student handbook for the school that your child attends for specifics on attendance practices. If you have questions, please contact Dr. Fields at the information listed below.
If you receive a letter regarding absences, please contact Dr. Fields to discuss the issue. All student attendance is tracked uniformly, district-wide. Students at the elementary level receive the same letters as those at the secondary level. Failure to address repeated school absences can result in truancy citations. As indicated, the EASD strives to assist families in order to avoid truancy citations and to promote a positive educational experience.
For students above the age of eighteen years, no truancy citations can be filed. You will receive letters at six (6) and ten (10) unexcused absences, yet no further legal action can be taken. We still encourage you to complete a Truancy Elimination Plan with Dr. Fields to address attendance barriers. If a child over eighteen misses ten (10) consecutive days of school, they can be dropped from enrollment.
Questions/Comments
Please feel free to contact Dr. Fields at anytime, at the following information:
High School Counseling Office
600 E. High Street, Elizabethtown PA
Telephone: (717)367-1533, ext. 21108
E-Mail: jennifer_fields@etownschools.org