Attendance & Engagement
Every Day Counts
The importance of regular school attendance.
At Saltwater College, we prioritise regular school attendance. We will work with families to ensure students are in class with their peers and teachers and enjoying all the benefits that brings.
Attending school every day means experiencing what counts – the learning, friendship, fun and opportunities that can shape your child’s future.
We understand that there are times when your child may need to miss school. To minimise disruption to their education, please consider scheduling family holidays or medical/dental appointments outside of school hours. If your child is well enough to attend but is worried about friendships, schoolwork or exams, please encourage them to come to school. Avoiding school can exacerbate these feelings and create a negative pattern of behaviour.
If your child is having difficulty attending school, please discuss this with their teacher or your child's Year Level Assistant Principal to explore support options.
We know that parents and caregivers can face daily challenges in getting their children to school. If your child needs to miss school, please notify us as soon as possible via the parent XUNO app, by calling us on 03 8366 7700, or by email at saltwater.p9.co@education.vic.gov.au, so we can work together to support them.
For more information about the importance of everyday attendance, see Attendance and Missing School.
Remember, Every Day Counts.
Supporting Student Learning During Family Holidays
New Process Now in Place at Saltwater P-9 College
At Saltwater P-9 College, we understand that families occasionally take holidays during the school term due to personal or cultural reasons. While we encourage holidays to be planned during term breaks to avoid disruption to student learning, we have introduced a new process to ensure that, when term-time holidays do occur, student learning remains supported and documented in alignment with Department of Education guidelines.
This new process is part of our recently endorsed Family Holiday Notification Policy, approved by our School Council. It ensures that both families and staff are working together to maintain continuity in learning and accurate attendance records.
What Families Need to Do...
If you are planning a holiday during the school term, please notify the school in writing at least two weeks in advance. Notifications can be sent via:
Email: saltwater.p9@education.vic.gov.au
Xuno: Message the school via the parent portal
Phone: Contact our Attendance Officer, Alison Lee, on (03) 8366 7700
Please include your child’s name, year level, and the dates of the intended absence. If your travel plans change, we ask that you inform us as soon as possible.
How Will the School Support Your Child?
Once a holiday notification is received, your child’s classroom teacher will prepare an Absence Learning Plan. This plan outlines:
The curriculum areas and units that will be covered during the absence
Suggestions for learning activities that can be done at home or while travelling
A meeting will then be arranged with the family to go through the plan in detail, just as we would with other learning or support plans.
Recording Absences
In line with our new policy, holiday-related absences will now be recorded as either:
Family Holiday (Approved) – when the school is notified and the process is followed
Family Holiday (Unapproved) – when no notification is received
This helps ensure transparency and consistency across our school community.
We appreciate your support in following this new process, which helps us keep student learning on track, even when they’re away from the classroom.
If you have any questions about the policy or the process, please contact the school office.
For further information on the policy please see the policy itself:
Thank you,
Brent Syme
Assistant Principal