Student Attendance - Every Day Counts

SCHOOL IS BETTER WHEN YOUR CHILD IS THERE

Why it’s important……..

We all want our students to get a great education, and the building blocks for a great education begin with students coming to school each and every day. If students miss school regularly, they miss out on learning the fundamental skills that will set them up for success in the later years of school.

There is no safe number of days for missing school – each day a student misses puts them behind, and can affect their educational outcomes. Each missed day is associated with progressively lower achievement in numeracy, writing and reading.

Attendance patterns are established early – a child regularly missing days in kindergarten or in the early years of school will often continue to miss classes in the later years, and receive lower test scores than their classmates.

It’s vital that students go to school every day – even in the early years of primary school.

IN VICTORIA SCHOOL IS COMPULSORY FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE

AGED 6 -17 YEARS

The main reasons for absence are:

Sickness – There are always times when students need to miss school, such as when they’re ill. It’s vital that they’re only away on the days they are genuinely sick, and developing good sleep patterns, eating well and exercising regularly can make a big difference.

Family holidays - It's vital that holidays are planned during school holidays where possible, and not during the term. If you are planning to go on holiday during term time, make sure that you talk to your child’s school in advance, and work with them to develop an absence learning plan.

“Day off” – Think twice before letting your child have a “day off” as they could fall behind their classmates – every day counts.

Truancy – This is when students choose not to go to school without their parent’s permission. There can be many reasons for truancy. The best way to address this is for schools and parents to work together.

School refusal - School refusing children will experience significant emotional distress not only when going to school but also at the thought of going to school; they may be absent from school for weeks or even months at a time. School refusal differs from truancy as children generally stay home with the knowledge of the parents and despite their best efforts to encourage their child to go to school.

BEING AWAY FROM SCHOOL FOR ONE DAY A FORTNIGHT EQUALS MISSING

1.5 YEARS OVER 13 YEARS OF SCHOOL

If your child is away

If for any reason your child must miss school, there are things you can do with your school to ensure they don’t fall behind:

Inform the school

Speak with your child’s classroom teacher and find out what work they need to do to keep up.
Develop an absence learning plan with your teacher and ensure your child completes the plan.

Remember, every day counts. If your child must miss school, speak with your classroom teacher as early as possible.

Openly communicating with your child's school about all absences is a good way to prevent attendance issues being escalated to a School Attendance Officer. A School Attendance Officer is a Department of Education and Training Regional Director who has authority to follow up attendance issues. Chronic or ongoing attendance issues that are escalated can lead to an Infringement Notice being issued to parent/s.

If you’re having attendance issues with your child, please let your classroom teacher know so we can work together to get your child to school every day.

Top attendance tips for parents

Schools want to work in partnership with parents – act early if you have any concerns by contacting your child’s school and asking for advice and support.
Remember that every day counts.
There is no safe number of days for missing school – each day a student misses puts them behind, and can affect their educational outcomes and their social connectedness.
Talk positively about school and the importance of attending every day.
Open and prompt communication with your child’s school about all absences is a good idea.
Avoid making routine medical and dental appointments during the school day or planning family holidays during the term.
Seek help from your school if you are concerned about your child’s attendance and wellbeing. Schools want to work in partnership with parents to support student attendance and wellbeing.

For more information and resources to help address attendance issues, visit:

https://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/studentmanagement/attendance/Pages/improve-attendance.aspx

Harmony Day

Last week, we celebrated HARMONY DAY at school where we wore orange, which is the colour of Harmony Day.

HARMONY DAY, held every year in March, is a celebration of our cultural diversity – a day of cultural respect for everyone who calls Australia home.

It is a time to celebrate Australian multiculturalism, and the successful integration of migrants into our community. Australia is one of the most successful multicultural countries in the world and we should celebrate this and work to maintain it.

An inclusive school is one that understands, respects, welcomes, celebrates and honours the diversity of children, families and staff. Diversity comes in many different forms, for example culture, language, religion, lifestyle, family arrangements and circumstances, abilities and disabilities. Respecting diversity is important in creating a sense of belonging. The different backgrounds of the children, families and staff enrich a school’s character and identity.

All children need to feel that their world is a safe place where people will care about them, where their needs for support, respect and friendship will be met, and where they will be able to get help to work out any problems. When these needs are met, children develop a sense of belonging. A sense of belonging has been found to help protect children against low self-esteem, mental health problems and improve their learning. Children who feel that they belong are happier; more relaxed and have fewer behavioural problems than others. They are also more motivated and more successful learners.

When children grow up to understand, appreciate and respect the cultural, racial and ethnic diversity around them, this builds a positive and accepting community. A community such as this supports children to develop skills and attitudes that will assist them in their relationships and contribute to their social and emotional wellbeing. Everybody needs to feel accepted, respected and included.

Prime Energy/Hydration Drinks

PRIME Energy / Hydration Drinks are not to be brought to school by students.

These drinks are currently highly sought after and popular with children. They are owned by on-line American YouTubers and are selling for inflated prices due to their scarcity and popularity.

We have the situation where some of our students are bringing Prime drinks to school to consume, and some students are bringing these drinks to school to sell. This has resulted in inappropriate money exchanges at school and Prime drinks being stolen from school bags.

Prime Energy drinks are not recommended for children under 18 due to their caffeine content and should not be consumed by any of our students. Prime Hydration drinks do not contain caffeine but students are not to bring any Prime drinks to school for consumption or sale. Your child is requested to bring to school a drink bottle filled with water only.

Ramadan Kareem

Happy Ramadan Mubarak, I wish this Ramadan brings you happiness and wealth.

Food for Thought

Angelika Ireland

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