Assistant Principal's Report

Teach the Teacher

An invitation has gone out to all students to participate in the Teach the Teacher initiative. The initiative is designed to step students through the process of establishing a problem that exists for them, substantiating this problem by using a quality data set, developing some evidence-based strategies and presenting this through staff professional learning. Students will be actively supported by staff to work through the process with the outcome being about a substantial change in practice. 

Unfortunately, I have not had many responses to this initiative, and I strongly encourage families to discuss this with students and respond to the invite on Compass. 

Every Day Counts

Going to school every day is the single most important part of your child’s education. Students learn new things at school every day – missing school puts them behind.  

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. 

Students develop good habits by going to school every day – habits that are necessary to succeed after school, whether in the workplace or in further study. 

Missing school can have a big impact on students academically and socially. It can affect their test results, including VCE, and, just as importantly, it can affect their relationships with other students, and lead to social isolation. 

There is no safe number of days for missing school – each day a student misses puts them behind, and can affect their educational outcomes. Absence is associated with falling behind in subject topics and assessment tasks, and leads to fewer subject choices and may impact on achievement in years 11 and 12.  

Getting in early: 

It’s never too late to improve attendance – going to school more often can lead to better outcomes. Even at Year 9, when attendance rates for all students are lowest, going to school more often can make a big difference. If you’re having attendance issues with your child, speak to us about ways to address those issues. 

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 setting good sleep patterns, eating well and exercising regularly can make a big difference. 

“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 the School and parents to work together. 

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

Speak with your Home Group Teacher or Student Engagement Leader to find out what work your child needs to do to keep up. 

Develop an absence learning plan with teachers and ensure your child completes the plan. 

Openly communicate with the School about all absences. This is a good way to prevent attendance issues being escalated to a School Attendance Officer.