Principal's Report
Dear families,
This is my first newsletter item as the Acting College Principal. I want to thank you for your kind words and well wishes in this new phase.
In addition, I want to engage with our college community on a meaningful level about raising the aspirations of our students and more importantly how we can support them to set reasonable goals that will help them achieve greater success.
I will be sending an invitation to our families to attend an evening session where we can raise these matters and work collaboratively to make positive changes.
Student Learning
Students are now receiving Progress Reports with a Grade Point Average (GPA) for six areas of assessment for learning dispositions that are crucial to academic achievement.
The GPA is an average of the ratings each student achieves on our learning behaviours on the Progress Report. Each of these areas is allocated a score based on the level of performance.
- Consistently (4)
- Often (3)
- Sometimes (2)
- Rarely (1)
- Not Yet (0)
The Progress Report is visible to all parents and carers on Compass. This will provide valuable information on how each student is performing in the six areas of assessment. Please take this opportunity to discuss effective goal setting for improvement.
Partnership
We look forward to a positive and productive partnership with families to ensure students achieve their highest potential. To be successful, students need encouragement and assistance from home and school.
We are asking that you guide your child’s learning by:
• Setting clear expectations on attendance at school daily, arriving on time and ready for learning.
• Overseeing the completion of all homework and Learning Tasks prior to the due dates.
• Discussing their learning, and achievements for the day.
The Importance of Full Time Attendance
Schooling is compulsory for children and young people aged from 6 to 17 years unless an exemption from attendance or enrolment has been granted.
Daily school attendance is important for all children and young people to succeed in education and to ensure they do not fall behind both socially and developmentally. Children and young people who regularly attend school and complete Year 12 or an equivalent qualification have better health outcomes, better employment outcomes, and higher incomes across their lives. It is important that children develop habits of regular attendance at an early age.
School participation is important as it maximises life opportunities for children and young people by providing them with education and support networks. School helps people to develop important skills, knowledge and values which set them up for further learning and participation in their community.
A student who is absent for one day a fortnight will miss for full weeks of learning by the end of the year. If that were to continue, by Year 10, they will have missed more than a year of education. Each day a student is absent, is a day that put them behind academically, and socially. They miss the soft skills students learn daily and the interactions that are vital for wellbeing and success.
If there is any reason your child must miss school, please ensure that you follow the college’s Attendance Policy and provide the relevant documentation to support their absence.
Aylin Gökmen
Acting College Principal