Student Wellbeing
Attendance Matters
Regular attendance has countless benefits for your child’s learning and development. Parents play an important role in ensuring students get to school and stay in school every day.
What you can do:
You can help build positive attendance habits by:
- helping your child learn the importance of punctuality and routine
- making sure your child arrives on time from the start of the school day, ready to take part
- reducing disruption to learning where you can, by planning any necessary appointments outside of school time
- contacting your school to explain any absences (within 7 days of the first day of any absence)
- making sure any holidays or medical appointments are taken outside school hours
- working with the school to encourage and support regular attendance.
Being absent, late or leaving early
- If your child misses school for any reason, please contact the school within 7 days to explain why
- If your child needs to arrive late or leave early, please notify the school
- If you have difficulty getting your child to school on time every day, please also contact your school. School staff are here to support you and your child to help them come to school.
If you are concerned about your child's attendance at school or any other issues that may affect their attendance, please speak with the school. The first point of contact should be with your child’s Leader of Student Care. They can be contacted by ringing the school on 6761 0800 or via email. Email addresses are provided in this newsletter. Schools and families must work together to find solutions to improve attendance.
The NSW Department of Education has information regarding compulsory school attendance and is attached below.
School refusal
If you are concerned about your child not wanting to attend school, please contact the relevant Leader of Student Care or myself. Email addresses are at the bottom of this newsletter. We can arrange an Attendance Improvement Plan (AIP) to improve attendance and punctuality at school.
Being on time for school
Coming late to school can impact learning. It is important to be on time for mentor groups and classes. Late to school by 5 minutes each day amounts to 3 full school days per year. Being late each day by 30 minutes amounts to 18 days per year.
Sharon Stuart
Leader of Student Wellbeing
sstuart@arm.catholic.edu.au