9-12 Community News
The Importance of Consistent School Attendance
As a parent, making sure your child attends school and every class, every day, is essential for their academic success and overall wellbeing. School attendance is a key factor in student achievement and it plays a crucial role in helping to shape your child’s future.
Setting a goal for 100% school attendance helps your child develop discipline, consistency and a commitment to their education. While achieving perfect attendance may not always be possible due to unavoidable events like sickness, striving for this goal encourages students to stay engaged, build strong relationships with peers and teachers, and establish a sense of responsibility and belonging.
Regular school and class attendance has numerous benefits, including better academic performance, the development of life skills such as time management and accountability, and stronger social connections. Every day at school provides opportunities for your child to learn, grow and engage with others, building a solid foundation for future success.
Missed classes or school days, however, create gaps in learning, making it harder for students to catch up. Consistent absence also impacts social development and can hurt self-esteem, leading to disengagement from school. If attendance becomes erratic, it can disrupt classroom dynamics, affecting both the absent student and their classmates.
As parents, you play a key role in supporting regular attendance. Establishing a structured routine, preparing the night before and promoting healthy habits can reduce barriers to attending school. Open communication with your child and the school helps address any issues, whether academic, social or logistical. Rewarding efforts and celebrating milestones can also motivate your child to prioritise attendance.
If attendance problems arise, please don’t hesitate to seek support from the school. Your child’s TA is the first point of contact. Community Leaders and our Wellbeing Team can also offer guidance to overcome obstacles and ensure your child stays on track academically and socially.
By fostering an environment that values education and maintaining consistent attendance, you are giving your child the tools to succeed in school and beyond.
Further reading;
Why Your Child’s School Attendance Matters
Family Engagement and School Attendance - Victorian Parents Council
School attendance | Student Wellbeing Hub
Term 2: Pathway Planning for Success
Term 2 is an exciting and busy time for pathway planning at St Augustine’s. Students in Years 9-12 will have the opportunity to attend various external career days, providing them with valuable exposure to a wide range of career pathways available after school.
We are also looking forward to our Senior Pathway Night on 4th June, where both students and parents can learn more about the in-school pathway options, as well as the wide array of subjects available for selection.
2025 Year 8 students will begin making their elective choices, while Year 9 students will not only select their electives but also have the chance to fast-track into a VCE subject. Earlier this term, families received detailed information about this process. Additionally, Year 9 students can choose to transition into the Partnership Year 10 Program, where they will have the option to undertake a work placement alongside a VET subject.
As for Year 10 students, this term marks an important milestone as they decide whether to pursue the VCE pathway and which subjects to focus on, or if the VCEVM pathway would be a better fit for their future aspirations.
We are excited to support all students as they explore the many pathways ahead of them!
In closing, as we move towards the end of term, we would like to congratulate all of the members of the 9-12 Community on a great Term 1 and we encourage all students to enter Term 2 with purpose and enthusiasm. With that in mind, we particularly commend our VCE students to make the most of their break. While it is important for students to enjoy some rest time, it is vital for VCE students to view this time as a ‘non-instruction period’ - a time in which they can prepare for the up-coming term by doing the pre-reading and activities that their teachers set them, making use of the variety of on-line and textbook resources that staff provide to support their coursework. Also, as highlighted in the Elevate Education seminars presented earlier in the term, students should take the opportunity to develop their revision notes from the course content from Term 1. Revision notes prepared soon after the teaching/learning, which are then revisited on a regular basis, will help with the long term retention of the content.
2025: Year 11 STUDY EXPECTATIONS
2025: Year 12 STUDY EXPECTATIONS
Michelle Downie Katelyn McIntyre
9-12 Community Leader 9-12 Community Leader
Wellbeing and Community Student Learning and Professional Practice
OES Barmah Canoe Trip
As the very hot weather rolled well into the middle of March it affected the Unit 3 Outdoor Environmental Studies three day Barmah Canoe trip. The trip was cut to only two days to keep students and staff safe. On Thursday the students canoed 17km from Picnic Point through ‘The Narrows’ to Barmah Lake campground. Thursday evening was a hot one but students cooked up their pasta and rice meals and reflected on their day's adventure watching the sunset.
On Friday we woke to the sound of birdlife then had a talk with Aunty Hilda Stewart from Parks Victoria. Aunty Hilda shared stories from her culture with us and management strategies on how they are trying to improve conservation within the Barmah National Park. The Kingfisher Cruise was relaxing and we did lots of bird spotting and learnt more about the Indigenous Culture of the Yorta Yorta people.
We will use our experience and new knowledge while answering questions for our upcoming SAC.
We were grateful for a stop at the Nathalia bakery before returning home.
Thanks to all staff and students and Ash Bell from River Country Adventours for a great trip.
Unit 3 Fast Track OES class
Year 10 Road Smart Interactive Program
As part of their Health curriculum, Year 10 students recently participated in the Road Smart Interactive Program, an engaging and evidence-based road safety education initiative. The students engaged in interactive experiences using immersive technology to encourage them to think critically about their role in the Road to Zero campaign. The students explored real-life scenarios and best-practice approaches to road safety, enhancing their understanding of responsible road use. The program provided a hands on learning experience, reinforcing key road safety messages and empowering students to make safer choices on the road that they have been learning about throughout Term 1.
VCE VM Formula 1 Grand Prix Excursion
Recently, the VCE VM cohort left Kyabram in the dark at 5.30am to make the journey down to Albert Park to be a part of the 2025 Formula 1 Experience. The overcast weather and threat of rain didn't stop us from having a blast.
Students spent the day engaging with a range of different exhibitors, from the SES to RMIT and even Lego Australia and explored the food trucks as part of their Literacy/WRS unit of work.
We were lucky to get fantastic seats in the Ricciardo Grandstand, where we watched a few races and some close calls. We also watched the motorbike stunts.
Kyabram Youth Fest
