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Patchogue-Medford Family Center urges regular attendance, offers bilingual support and resources for parents
Summary
At a Family Center workshop, lead social worker Janes Guzmán advised parents that missing 10% of school days counts as chronic absenteeism, reviewed national trends, encouraged routines and sleep schedules, and announced bilingual services, a food pantry and weekly open nights at Saxon Middle School.
Janes Guzmán, lead districtwide school social worker at the Patchogue‑Medford Union Free School District Family Center, led a back‑to‑school parent workshop emphasizing the importance of regular attendance, predictable routines and sleep for academic success.
Guzmán said chronic absenteeism occurs when a student misses at least 10% of enrolled school days for any reason and warned that missed days mean lost instruction and future opportunities. "Attendance is important because it's critical for academic success and consistent learning," she said. She attributed national analyses to the U.S. Department of Education and noted that, in her presentation, national absenteeism rates reached "about 30%" during the pandemic and later declined to roughly 26%.
The Family Center presentation outlined concrete steps parents can take: establish consistent bedtimes and morning routines, limit screen time, promote physical activity and maintain communication with teachers. Guzmán highlighted sleep and circadian routines as foundational, recommending age‑based sleep ranges (as given in the workshop): preschoolers 10–13 hours, elementary‑age children 9–12 hours and teenagers 8–10 hours.
The workshop also covered the Family Center's services. Guzmán said the center offers bilingual (English/Spanish) short‑term counseling, crisis intervention, community service referrals and free parent education workshops. It assists families with district account setup (ParentSquare and the parent portal), pre‑K and kindergarten registration, and operates an on‑site food pantry with nonperishables and—when available—fresh produce and eggs sourced from Long Island Harvest.
Staff Guzmán listed as available included Robert Christi (districtwide school psychologist), Carolyn Walsh (lead districtwide school psychologist), Nilsa Catalano (bilingual office assistant) and Caroline Candela (director of social‑emotional learning, K–12). She said student volunteers from AIS programs and the National Junior Honor Society also support Family Center activities.
The Family Center will hold weekly open nights beginning in October, every Tuesday from 4 to 6 p.m., at Saxon Middle School. Guzmán said families may enter via the registration entrance and call the center for help with accounts or services.
The presentation was delivered in English and Spanish; Guzmán provided the same guidance and logistics in both languages and closed by inviting families to use the center's resources.
