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Due to public health concerns, a growing number of schools across the United States have stopped giving students awards for their attendance record.
In an effort to maintain their attendance records, many students likely went to school while sick, greatly increasing the risk of infecting others.
?The spread of disease in schools will in many ways impact the entire community,? said Dr. Anthony Billittier, the commissioner of health for Erie County, New York. ?The diseases we?re concerned about spread from person to person, and person to object to person.?
Following the H1N1 flu outbreak in 2009, many school districts across the United States began reconsidering their attendance policies and many eventually chose to stop awarding students with perfect attendance records.
For instance officials at the Peru Central School District in New York elected to stop giving awards for attendance to not encourage children to attend school while they were sick with flu symptoms.
?We had heard from time to time of children attending school when they were best home in bed,? said Peru school superintendent A. Paul Scott. ?This allows families to make decisions about what is best for their children.?
The district now awards students based on academics, citizenship, and good character, instead of just focusing on attendance. ?We expect perfection,? Scott added. ?We?ll settle for excellent - and now that is true for our attendance policy.?
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In an effort to maintain their attendance records, many students likely went to school while sick, greatly increasing the risk of infecting others.
?The spread of disease in schools will in many ways impact the entire community,? said Dr. Anthony Billittier, the commissioner of health for Erie County, New York. ?The diseases we?re concerned about spread from person to person, and person to object to person.?
Following the H1N1 flu outbreak in 2009, many school districts across the United States began reconsidering their attendance policies and many eventually chose to stop awarding students with perfect attendance records.
For instance officials at the Peru Central School District in New York elected to stop giving awards for attendance to not encourage children to attend school while they were sick with flu symptoms.
?We had heard from time to time of children attending school when they were best home in bed,? said Peru school superintendent A. Paul Scott. ?This allows families to make decisions about what is best for their children.?
The district now awards students based on academics, citizenship, and good character, instead of just focusing on attendance. ?We expect perfection,? Scott added. ?We?ll settle for excellent - and now that is true for our attendance policy.?
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