Taking days off school. Is it really such a big deal?

As we head into the term that some people consider the toughest the weather is often miserable, sickness is more prevalent & our weekends are busy with sport & other events, which leave little time for rest.

An interesting article, which highlights the importance of regular attendance (& is worth a read) can be found at the following link: https://www.inspiringgirls.info/post/importance-of-school-attendance

Obviously, illness related absences cannot be avoided, but the article states some compelling reasons for good school attendance at other times:

Why is attendance so important?

The reasons for regular school attendance may seem obvious, but let’s recap:

Learning is a building process, & it is important not to miss any of the steps
Consistency builds success in learning
More school equals more opportunities for social-emotional learning & more opportunities for building self-worth
Students become more comfortable & increase their risk-taking in learning when they are regularly at school
The inner critic quietens when our kids are busy & engaged. Humans need purpose.

An interesting point raised in the article – “if your child misses one day per fortnight of school, they miss a whole year of education over the course of their twelve years.”

L2P’s Program

The Buloke & Loddon L2P Learner Driver Mentor Program is part of a statewide initiative funded by the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) and managed by Vic Roads. The aim of the program is to reduce the number of driver fatalities by giving learner drivers supervised experience in many different environments and situations, building self-confidence, trust and safety on our roads. The program aims to provide assistance to young people who are facing significant barriers to completing their mandatory 120 hours of supervised on road driving experience through the support of Volunteer Mentors from the community. Young people are matched with fully licensed volunteer mentors and have access to a sponsored vehicle to gain driving experience. L2P is free for eligible young people. To join an L2P Program, you need to:

Be between 16 and 20 years of age
Hold a current learner’s permit, and
Not have access to a vehicle, a supervising driver or both.

To become a volunteer mentor in the L2P program, you need to:

Be over 21 years of age
Hold a current full Victorian drivers licence, and
Meet requirements of the L2P program.

Our driver mentors offer coaching, support and guidance to the learner drivers while they learn the skills required to become safe, fully licensed drivers.

If you would like to apply for this program, please contact Jess McGurk at the College.

Second Hand Uniform Shop

The cooler months are just around the corner. Now is a great time to check if you child/ren are in need of any winter school uniform. The Second Hand School Uniform Shop is available for all families to access! The shop is stocked with pre-loved clothes from students that have mostly ‘grown out of’ but still have plenty of life left in them. All items of uniform are available, eg; shirts and jumpers, shorts and pants, dresses, school bags and even some shoes. Each item is only $2.00. To make a donation of clothing or to purchase please contact the office.

News to SMILE about

We are received some news to SMILE about. Smile Squad will be back to visit Charlton College in late Term 3. Smile Squad is a Victorian Government program that will provide free dental care for all Victorian public primary and secondary school students. The program will save parents time and money as examinations and any required treatment will be carried out on school grounds, during school hours.

Smile Squad is being led by the Department of Health (DH) and Dental Health Services Victoria (DHSV), with input from the Department of Education and Training (DET).

More information will be shared in the coming weeks. Please keep an eye out for updates on the Parent’s Bulletin and Compass.

TERM 2
April
Thurs	25th	ANZAC Day (PUBLIC HOLIDAY)
Fri	26th	House Cross Country 1.45pm Start
May
Thurs	2nd	Mother’s Day Fete
Fri	17th	NCD Cross Country
Tues	28th	LMR Cross Country
June
Mon	10th	King’s Birthday (PUBLIC HOLIDAY)
Tues	18th	GAT
Fri	28th	House Athletics Last Day of Term 3

Years 10-12 Coordinator

Darcy McCallum