Student Wellbeing

Attendance Update

Any student that is currently sitting at or below 85% attendance is currently deemed chronically absent in the Department system. This means that if your child has had more than 10 days absent so far in 2024, they may receive communications about their attendance. When can your child be absent from school? 

1. Sickness -If your child is sick they do not need to go to school. It’s important they’re only away on the days they’re genuinely sick. 
2. A death in the family/ Sorry Business - Contact the school and let us know how long your child will be away. We can keep an eye on your child’s wellbeing when they return. 

What about medical appointments?

We ask that families attempt to make medical appointments for before or after school or during the school holidays. If this is not possible, tell your child’s school before the appointment.

What about family holidays?  Every day counts so we ask families to consider taking holidays during school holidays and not during term time. 

If you are having difficult with your child's attendance or school refusal, please contact Erin McNamara. 

Online Safety Update

Is my child ready for social media accounts?

Both the physical age of your child and their level of maturity and resilience can affect their ability to have positive experiences on social media.  Each social media site and app has its own criteria for minimum age requirements. Most require users to be at least 13 years of age before they can register due to the possible risks involved, however most social media apps can easily be accessed by lying about your age. 

Before considering social media accounts such as Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, Discord or even iMessage, consider the following: 

• Does your child know how to deal with negative online experiences? 
• Does your child understand the importance of protecting their personal information?  
• Does your child understand how privacy settings for social media work?
• Does your child understand what is safe to share online?   
• Does your child know how to identify, report and respond to abusive content? 

Read more about this content and how to support your child here. 

Flu vaccinations

Flu vaccinations can be booked through GPs and pharmacies, many of which can also provide COVID-19 vaccinations. Flu vaccination is recommended for everyone aged 6 months and over. Some people are more at risk of complications from flu and are eligible for free vaccination as part of the National Immunisation Program.