Student Wellbeing
Term 1
Welcome to the 2025 school year! Across the school there is a sense of calm and high levels of engagement despite the challenging weather. It has been wonderful to see the students settling back into school life and to observe their confidence with some new routines that are actively being taught. We have seen our students connecting with friends, forming new relationships and displaying excellent learning behaviours.
Please communicate with your child’s classroom teacher or the section’s Team Leader if your child requires additional support in settling into the new school year.
HOT WEATHER ARRANGEMENTS
When the temperature is high, we devise measures to keep students as comfortable as possible. The leadership team make use of multiple weather apps to ensure that students are not outside in extreme weather conditions. All classrooms are air-conditioned. Students are encouraged to regularly hydrate on these days, so we ask that you remind them to bring their refillable water bottle every day.
UNIFORM
It has been wonderful to see our Year 7 students in their new secondary school uniform. Our students are clearly proud of how they look and this contributes to a positive attitude about school.
School uniform can be purchased from the school uniform shop which is located at the Bundoora Campus. The opening hours of the school uniform shop are by appointment only.
Orders can also be sent to the office. Please include order and correct money or credit card details. The School Saver Bonus may also be utilised for uniform items (please see information included later in the newsletter.) Your order can be sent home with your child or collected from the office.
Only school caps and hats may be worn. Staff and students in the Primary School are expected to wear hats while outside during terms 1 and 4. Staff and students in the Secondary School are strongly encouraged to wear hats while outside during terms 1 and 4.
ATTENDANCE AND ABSENCES
Student attendance is a key priority at Concord School to ensure the learning and wellbeing needs of all students can be met. All students aged from 6 to 17 years old are expected to attend school unless an exemption from attendance or alternate enrolment has been granted.
For all absences where there is not an approved exemption from attendance or alternate enrolment in place, the parent/carer must provide an explanation on each occasion to the school. This is to be completed on Compass by the parent/carer.
It is a legal requirement that teachers mark their rolls twice a day. At 9:15am each day teachers take the roll. If a student is absent and the parent/carer has not notified the school to explain why, class teachers will mark their rolls as an unexplained absence which will then generate an automatic Compass message to parents/carers after 9:30.
Notifying the school of your child’s absence either prior to, or on the day that they will be away, helps ensure the safety and wellbeing of children and will fulfil your legal responsibility. As well as recording absences, it is important that the reason for absence is recorded accurately.
Explanations can be provided for any unexplained absence after the absence date to ensure that the accurate reason for absence is recorded.
If your child arrives to school after 9:15am, they must be signed in at the Office.
It is a requirement that schools must record and monitor attendance and absences. Teachers, Section Leaders and the Assistant Principal for Student Wellbeing and Engagement may contact you if there are continued periods of unexplained absences.
Please ensure that all student absences are reported to the school. This can be done by:
- Logging via Compass and add an attendance note (please see the attached documents to support you)
- Calling the school: Bundoora Campus: 9467 3972
- Watsonia Campus: 9432 7978
For further information, refer to the Concord School Attendance Policy on our website.
Thank you for your assistance with this.
Bronwyn Hart
Assistant Principal
Student Wellbeing & Engagement