Academic Care
and Wellbeing
We started 2026 with 2 exciting days of Transition for our Year 7 students. They did an amazing job building technology skills and becoming familiar with their new devices. Socially they jumped out of their comfort zones and into a number of activities designed to help them make connections and get to know their new peers. It also included some really fun activities getting to know the Year 12’s in their Houses. We were very impressed with their ability to get involved and quickly become part of our community.
Following Transition, students made a smooth move to their normal timetables and it was great to see so many students willing to help them find their ways to unknown classrooms.
Please don’t hesitate to contact the College if you have any questions or concerns. The first point of contact for each child is their Homegroup teacher and they will be in touch with you soon to talk about the start to the year and upcoming events. House Leaders are also available to assist with all academic care and wellbeing concerns and we encourage you to get in touch using the contact details found below.
As much of the College's communication is digital, please reach out if IT support is required. mdcc-helpdesk@ww.catholic.edu.au
Some Key Reminders For Parents/Carers and Students:
School starts at 8:45am and parents/carers will receive a notification if a student is late or absent. All absences must be explained using Compass or by contacting the College office.
It is an expectation that all students must wear their school uniform each day as per the Uniform and Appearance policy.
Homegroup teachers will speak to any students who are not following the Uniform and Appearance policy (which can be found on the College website) and will record whether they have received a note from parents or not. Parents will then receive a notification of this record. For any assistance with uniforms, please contact a Homegroup teacher or House Leader.
It is recommended that each student's name be clearly labelled on all items of clothing and personal property, in particular their hat and bag.
Students who are buying lunch from the Cafe or Canteen must fill in an order form before school. Orders can be made between 8.20am and 8.45am. The College suggests that all students bring their own water bottle to school to fill up at our bottle stations.
Finally, please ensure your child is charging their laptop every evening, storing it in the hard case for protection, and if there are any faults or breakages, the laptop must be given to the IT team for solutions.
Reminders About Student Drop Off and Pick Up
Parents/carers are reminded that the only location for drop off and pick up is at the front of the College in the designated drop off area in Plunkett Drive. Drop off and pick up are not permitted in the turning circle and Police frequently monitor this area. As well, access to the back lane (from the Primary School car park) is not available to parents/carers at any time.
Senior students, parents and carers who choose to use the College car park are asked to ensure they obey the traffic rules when exiting onto Plunkett Drive. For safety, please follow the arrows to turn left and turn around the turning circle to rejoin the traffic.
Student Attendance
Please see below information from CEDWW regarding student attendance:
What if my child has to be away from school?
On occasion, your child may need to be absent from school. Justified reasons for student absences may include:
- being sick or having an infectious disease
- having an unavoidable medical appointment
- being required to attend a recognised religious holiday
- exceptional or urgent family circumstance (e.g. attending a funeral)
Following an absence from school, you must ensure that within 7 days, you provide your child’s school with a verbal or written explanation for the absence. This can be via Compass or by phone, email or in written form. Parents will receive a Compass notification with a link for parents to provide this information in Compass.
Principals may decline to accept an explanation that you have provided if they do not believe the absence is in the best interest of your child. In these circumstances, your child’s absence would be recorded as unjustified. When this happens, the principal will discuss their decision with you and the reasons why.
Principals may request medical certificates or other documentation when frequent or long-term absences are explained as being due to illness. Principals may also seek parental permission to speak with medical specialists to obtain information to collaboratively develop a health care plan to support your child. If the request is denied, the Principal can record the absences as unjustified.
Ms Melanie Cramp | Leader of Students