Child Safe & Wellbeing

Every Minute Counts – Student Attendance Matters

Dear Families,

At St Thomas the Apostle Primary School, we are committed to ensuring that every student has the best possible opportunity to learn and thrive. One of the most significant factors in student success is consistent, full-day attendance - quite simply, every minute counts.

Regular attendance is essential for building strong learning habits, maintaining social connections, and ensuring continuity in instruction. Teachers plan carefully to maximise learning across the entire school day, including the afternoon sessions. Important teaching, practise, and consolidation of skills often occur later in the day, not just in the morning.

As a guide, students should be absent for no more than 10 days across the school year. While there are times when absence is unavoidable, it is important to understand the cumulative impact of missed time. Each day away from school adds up - gaps in learning widen, key concepts are missed, and students can find it increasingly difficult to reconnect with new content. Over time, this can affect both achievement and confidence.

We are also noticing an increase in students being collected early from school. Collecting children early, unless necessary, disrupts their learning and can impact the flow of teaching and classroom routines. It also contributes to this cumulative loss of learning time. We ask all families to support their child’s learning by ensuring they attend for the full school day.

Family time is important, and we strongly encourage holidays and extended travel to be planned during the designated school holiday periods. This helps students remain engaged in their learning while still allowing valuable time together as a family.

By working together, we can ensure that every student benefits from every learning opportunity provided. Thank you for your ongoing support in reinforcing the message that at St Thomas the Apostle, every minute truly does count.

Enjoy your weekend,

Peta Overbury

Deputy Principal