Attendance Matters Early On

Hi my name is Denise Catlyn, and I’m the new Zone 126 Attendance Coordinator Success Mentor at PS 171Q. Prior to beginning my role I worked for NYC Department of Education for over 15 years with children in the Astoria/Long Island City community. I am very excited to be supporting the students and parents of PS 171Q this school year as we try to combat chronic absenteeism.

My primary role and responsibility as an Attendance Success Mentor Coordinator is to decrease chronic absenteeism and to make sure every student has an equal opportunity to learn and thrive by being in school every day. My daily tasks include monitoring students’ daily attendance and making morning phone calls to parents or guardians of absent students. Part of my role is also to mentor students daily and conduct home visits to provide additional support to students and families. My mission for this school year is to make strong connections with students and families, and to help students feel supported and engaged, improve their daily attendance and celebrate their successes. I want everyone including students, families, teachers, the community amongst others to know how important attendance is and that it matters early on beginning in Pre-Kindergarten.