Dear Families, Students and Community Members,

Progress Reports and Meet & Connect

Last Friday, our first round of progress reports was released on Compass for student and parent access. Please make sure you check to stay informed about your child’s progress.

A reminder about our Term 1 Meet & Connect will be held next week on Thursday 16th March 4:00pm – 7:00pm and Friday 17th March 9:30am – 1:30pm. Meet & Connect will provide an important opportunity for students and their families to meet with subject teachers and discuss student progress throughout the current semester of their studies.

Thursday 16th March - all classes continue as per normal, followed by Meet & Connect
Friday 17th March - class free day, replaced by Meet & Connect

Bookings for student/family/teacher conferences are required and are now open. Bookings can be made via Compass.

Please contact the College if you require any support in making bookings on 9749 0246.

Same-Day Notification of Unexplained Student Absences

Protecting the safety and well-being of children through the reporting and monitoring of absenteeism is the responsibility of both parents/carers and schools. Parents/carers have an obligation to notify the school of their child’s absence and schools are required to notify parents/carers on the day of an unexplained student absence.

1. Contact details

There are times when we will need to contact you, including on the day if your child is absent and you haven’t informed the school as to why. Do we have your most up to date contact details? If not, please contact the school on 03-9749 0246, press #5 so we can update our records. Please include parent/carers’ name, address, phone numbers, email address and emergency contact details. Please remember to contact the school if any of these details or your circumstances change.

2. Notify the school of your child’s absence

Protecting the safety and well-being of children through the reporting and monitoring of absenteeism is the responsibility of both parents/carers and schools.

Please remember to call the school on 03-9749 0246, press #5 or log your child’s child’s absence using our school’s Compass platform early in the morning if your child is going to be away or late for school so your child’s absence can be recorded correctly.

For further information on the processes and procedures our school uses to record, monitor and follow-up student attendance and absence please read our Attendance Policy at https://www.tarneitsc.vic.edu.au/our-school/attendance

3. Same-day notification of unexplained student absences

If your child is sick or absent, you are required to notify the school as soon as possible on the day of absence.

Our school will text/call you as soon as practicable on the day if a student is not at school and you haven’t notified the school as to why. If you are notified by the school that your child is away without a reason, please contact us as soon as possible by calling 03-9749 0246, press #5 to let us know where your child is. If we cannot reach you because we don’t have your correct contact details (i.e.: message notification fail, disconnected number), then we will make contact with any emergency contact/s nominated on your child’s file held by the school, where possible, on the same day of the unexplained absence.

Please remember it is your responsibility to contact us to provide an explanation for your child's absence from school, and where possible, please inform us in advance of upcoming absences.

For further information on the processes and procedures our school uses to record, monitor and follow-up student attendance and absence please read our Attendance Policy https://www.tarneitsc.vic.edu.au/our-school/attendance

Student Wellbeing at Tarneit Senior College

Schools play a key role in providing a positive and inclusive learning environment for all students and can equip young people with the personal skills to support their mental health and wellbeing. Tarneit Senior College acknowledges the relationship between the social and emotional wellbeing of students and their academic success in school, future pathways, and adult life.

Tarneit Senior College is committed to promoting the social and emotional development and wellbeing of students, nurturing students’ responsibility and resilience, fostering respectful relationships and responding to contemporary issues and topics that impact their wellbeing. The College works towards achieving this by creating a secure learning environment where all students feel culturally, emotionally and physically safe, and reflects our College values of Integrity, Innovation and Focus.

The Student Wellbeing Team

The Student Wellbeing Team is well equipped to provide comprehensive support to students throughout their senior secondary education. This support is provided through a passionate, diverse and experienced team of practitioners who are committed to enhancing student wellbeing and promoting resilience for all students as they navigate various social and emotional challenges.

Our Student Wellbeing Team consists of:

Youth Counsellors
Social Workers
Mental Health Practitioner
Community Engagement Officer

Student Support Services

The Student Wellbeing Team supports Tarneit Senior College students by providing:

Mental health promotion
Individual and group support regarding stress management, social skills, anxiety and study skills
Individual counselling
Triage counselling
Student Support Group guidance for families and young people regarding behavioural, social or emotional concerns
Referrals to external support services and specialist assessment/treatment services
Welfare support for students in need

Accessing Support

Students can access Student Wellbeing Team support at school by;

Self-referring to the Student Wellbeing Team by visiting the Wellbeing Centre
Principals, House Leaders, teachers, and support staff can arrange for a referral to the Student Wellbeing Team if they have concerns about a student’s mental health or wellbeing.
Parents can also request an appointment for their child with the Student Wellbeing Team by contacting the College on 03-9749 0246, press #5.

School Community Safety Order Scheme

Schools are positive places of learning where everyone has a right to a safe and healthy learning environment. Schools are also workplaces, and school staff deserve to work in an environment where they don’t feel threatened or unsafe.

From Term 3, 2022, the School Community Safety Order Scheme came into effect in all Victorian schools. This Scheme allows principals and other authorised persons to issue ongoing or immediate school community safety orders that place limitations on the way certain parents, carers or other adults who act in a harmful, abusive or threatening way behave towards staff, students or others in the school community. Click here for more information about the Scheme, including a short video that provides an overview of the Scheme.

This Scheme provides a range of safeguards for people who may be subject to an order and their child. For example, before issuing an ongoing school community safety order, an authorised person must consider the person’s response to the notice to issue an order and how an order may impact their child. Orders can only be issued as a last resort option if it is the least restrictive option to address the behaviour. To read more about the protections built into the Scheme for parents, carers and other adults who may be subject to an order (including information on appeal rights), access the Department’s website.

Everyone at school, particularly staff and parents/carers, play a role in making school a better place for learning and work. The Respectful Behaviours within the School Community Policy outlines the shared roles of parents, carers and school staff in creating a positive environment for learning.

Our mutual objective is to support your child’s education. To do this, we ask that feedback and complaints are both constructive and respectful. Parents are reminded to follow the school’s complaints policy ( Department’s Complaints Policy ) if you wish to raise any constructive and respectful feedback.

You can find the Respectful Behaviours within the School Community Policy and other resources to build a positive relationship with our school community here.

Kind Regards,

Simon Haber

College Principal

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