Attendance & Engagement

Week 8 Update

As we approach the end of Term 1, we would like to thank our students and families for their continued commitment to attendance, engagement and learning. The final weeks of term remain an important time for students as classes consolidate learning, celebrate achievements and prepare for a successful start to Term 2.

We also recognise that many families may be beginning to plan holidays and travel arrangements for later in the year. To support student learning and ensure accurate attendance records, families are reminded that any planned family holidays during school time must be communicated to the school at least two weeks prior to departure. This allows the school to organise the appropriate documentation, discuss any impacts on learning, and, where appropriate, develop a Student Absence Learning Plan. Wherever possible, we strongly encourage families to plan holidays during the scheduled school holiday periods to minimise disruption to student learning.

📈 Attendance Snapshot – 2026 Year-to-Date

Below is a summary of attendance across each year level so far this year:

These figures demonstrate the strong efforts of many of our students and families in establishing positive attendance habits throughout the term. We congratulate our year levels currently achieving above 92% attendance and encourage all students to continue prioritising attendance as we finish the term strongly.

Every day at school provides opportunities for learning, building friendships, participating in school events and strengthening connections with teachers and peers. Consistent attendance remains one of the strongest predictors of student success, and we appreciate the ongoing partnership of our families in supporting students to attend school every day they can.

Supporting Student Learning During Family Holidays

At Saltwater P-9 College, we understand that families occasionally take holidays during the school term due to personal or cultural reasons. While we encourage holidays to be planned during term breaks to avoid disruption to student learning, we have introduced a process to ensure that, when term-time holidays do occur, student learning remains supported and documented in alignment with Department of Education guidelines.

This process is part of our endorsed Family Holiday Notification Policy, approved by our School Council. It ensures that both families and staff are working together to maintain continuity in learning and accurate attendance records.

What Families Need to Do...

If you are planning a holiday during the school term, please notify the school in writing at least two weeks in advance. Notifications can be sent via:

• Email: saltwater.p9@education.vic.gov.au

• Xuno: Message the school via the parent portal

• Phone: Contact our Attendance Officer, Alison Lee, on (03) 8366 7700

Please include your child’s name, year level, and the dates of the intended absence. If your travel plans change, we ask that you inform us as soon as possible.

How the School Will Support Your Child?

Once a holiday notification is received, your child’s classroom teacher will prepare an Absence Learning Plan. This plan outlines:

• The curriculum areas and units that will be covered during the absence

• Suggestions for learning activities that can be done at home or while travelling

A meeting will then be arranged with the family to go through the plan in detail, just as we would with other learning or support plans.

Recording Absences

In line with our new policy, holiday-related absences will now be recorded as either:

• Family Holiday (Approved) – when the school is notified and the process is followed

• Family Holiday (Unapproved) – when no notification is received

This helps ensure transparency and consistency across our school community.

We appreciate your support in following this new process, which helps us keep student learning on track, even when they’re away from the classroom.

If you have any questions about the policy or the process, please contact the school office.

For further information on the policy please see the policy itself:

Thank you,

Brent Syme

Assistant Principal