The first day of school for students is Wednesday, September 1, 2010. The transportation department will be contacting you to set up transportation for your child. If you have any problems, please contact Leslie Marranca at 408-8100.

The staff at the ALC is trained in CPR / AED / First Aid by the American Red Cross. An AED is on site located in the main hallway of the school.

The Science Department will implement an Earth Science program that will be used for the high school section while the middle school program will offer an Integrated Science class. The Social Studies Department has an American Government course for the high school students. All courses have student workbooks, CD Roms, and teacher wraparound resources for instructors to utilize.

The ALC will implement the SRA Corrective Reading Program for all students at the school. The students will be pre-tested and placed into their proper reading section as per the test results. Upon completion of the program, each child will be given a post-test to monitor their progress.

All students will be tested to recognize their different math levels for achieving success. The Key Math 3 Diagnostic Assessmnet Test will be administered during the first two weeks of school. The results will yield to the proper scheduling for each child. The documentation will be kept for parental and school review in each child's student file.

As per Pennsylvania School Code, it is the responsibility of the guardians to provide updated emergency information to their child's school such as telephone numbers and address changes which are needed for communication purposes.

The ALC has installed multiple cameras throughout the building to primarily gather daily evidence. These devices can not make a school safe, but SAFER! Cameras CAN NOT guarantee safety, nor can they prevent danger. It is our intention that they will serve as a possible deterrent to student misbehavior. A public address system has also been installed for urgent announcements.

If a child misses 4 consecutive days of school, it remains the responsibility of the contractor to contact the school or guardian to assist in determining the future status of student's transportation service. It is the ultimate responsibility of the guardian to instruct the ALC of the child's transportation needs. Thank you!

The Luzerne Intermediate Unit recently dedicated their new flagpole at the ALC to Plains resident Mrs. Margaret "Maggie" Antinovitch. Maggie has resided in Plains her entire life and during those 85 years has been a part of many community service endeavours. She has been donating a flag to the school for the past 5 years in memory of all her classmates that graduated from the former Plains High School and were killed while serving our country.

A snack bar is now available to students at the ALC during their lunch period. Students will be offered fruit packets, cereal bars, baked chips, water and juices.

All ALC students are required to be searched upon entry into the school to ensure the safety of all students and staff. The implementation of security wands will be used by trained staff to enhance this safety feature. Our Search Policy can be found in our Student Handbook.

The Plains Alternative Learning Center will announce any weather related emergency information via the local television stations in regards to school closings, delays or early dismissals.

Students are required to follow the attendance policy of their school district. Twice a month a copy of the child's attendance card is sent to their school's attendance officer for review.

The ALC opens at 7:00 am and closes at 2:30 pm daily. The school follows the Wilkes-Barre Area School District schedule. The telephone number for the main office is 408-8100, fax number is 208-9291.

The guardian of any child that is absent from school on a given day is required to be contacted by the child's homeroom teacher. All calls are logged for future reference.

Nutrition Inc. is the contracted provider for the ALC. The lunch menu is posted each week in the Wilkes-Barre newspaper. Guardians can prepay for the meals by writing a check to "Nutrition Inc." Concerns regarding the program should be directed to Ann or Lynn at 826-7110 or Marcey at 408-8129.