Attendance & Engagement

A Closer Look at Attendance at Saltwater College

Over the coming newsletters, we will be taking a closer look at Saltwater College’s approach to student attendance. Attendance plays a vital role in every child’s learning journey, and by sharing how we respond to different levels of attendance, we hope to strengthen our partnership with families in supporting every student to thrive.

This week, we are focusing on students who attend school regularly, with 0–9.5 days of absence across the school year.

Why This Matters

Students in this category are considered to have regular attendance. Consistent attendance allows children to:

• Build strong and stable relationships with peers and teachers.
• Stay connected to their learning and make steady academic progress.
• Develop the routines, habits, and resilience that set them up for success in future years.

When students attend school regularly, they are best positioned to access the full learning program and make the most of opportunities beyond the classroom, including specialist programs, inquiry learning, and social development.

Our Response at Saltwater College

For students who attend regularly:

• Monitoring – Attendance data is regularly reviewed so we can quickly identify when patterns change. This allows us to step in early if challenges begin to arise.
• Connection – Staff continue to foster positive relationships, ensuring students feel engaged and motivated to come to school each day.

By maintaining regular attendance, students in this category are in the best position to succeed both academically and socially.

When Attendance Becomes a Challenge

We recognise that at times, families may face barriers that make regular attendance difficult. If you are experiencing challenges with your child’s attendance, please remember there are supports available. Families are encouraged to:

• Speak with your child’s classroom teacher.
• Reach out to your Assistant Principal.
• Access support from our Wellbeing Team.
• Connect with community services such as Orange Door or other local agencies.

Together, we can work to identify challenges and find solutions that support every child’s right to learn.

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.co@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