Attendance & Uniform

Attendance

Our MFG attendance policy is attached. Did you know that missing one day a fortnight is the same as missing 4 whole weeks of school a year? From prep to Year 12 that adds up to 1.5 years of school.

The main reasons for absence are:

Sickness – There are always times when students need to miss school, such as when they’re ill. Please ensure they’re only away on the days they are genuinely sick but, if they are sick, it is better that they are at home and not infecting their friends at school. Setting good sleep patterns, eating well and exercising regularly can make a big difference.

Family holidays - It's important that holidays are planned during school holidays where possible, and not during the term.

“Day off” – Think twice before letting your teenager have a “day off” as they could fall behind their classmates – every day counts. A “catch up day” does not help, but rather makes “catching up” even harder. If you allow a “day off” then the next time it will be even harder to say no. Try to find other ways to have “down time” or to catch up.

Truancy – This is when students choose not to go to school without their parent’s permission or skip out of school during the day. There can be many reasons for truancy; the best way to address this is for us to work together to have a united approach to support your child to come to school.

School refusal - School refusing children experience significant emotional distress not only when going to school but also at the thought of going to school; they may be absent from school for weeks or even months at a time. School refusal differs from truancy as children generally stay home with the knowledge of the parents and despite their best efforts to encourage their child to go to school. In such cases it is also vital for us to work together to support your child.

Uniform

The school’s uniform policy was sent to all parents late in January.

Please be mindful of the following:

• School Blazers are to be worn unless the advertised temperature is 25 or above.
• School blazers are worn for formal assemblies and school photo day. 
  • School Photos – Wednesday 5 February
  • Whole School Assembly Term 1 – 18 February
• Boots are not part of the school uniform
• Hair colour is natural.