The Nazarene

Learning Assistant Principal's Report

'Every Day Counts'

The Victorian Government’s Department of Education website uses the slogan “Every Day Counts” in the section on school attendance.  It notes that “children and young people who regularly attend school and complete Year 12 have better health outcomes, better employment outcomes, and higher incomes across their lives”. 

Here at Nazareth College we have always promoted the social and educational importance of daily attendance for every student.  ‘Every Day Counts’ provides clear links to the importance of student attendance at school, highlighting that “there is no safe number of days for missing school – each day a student misses puts them behind, and can affect their educational outcomes and their social connectedness”.  Further advice to parents includes:

  • Try not to schedule hair, dental or medical appointments during school hours.
  • Arrange family holidays during scheduled school holidays so that students don’t miss out on classes and feel left behind.
  • Don’t let your child stay home unless genuinely sick. Complaints of headaches or stomach aches may be signs of anxiety.
  • Don’t unintentionally reward unwanted behaviour by letting children who stay home have access to their devices and the internet.

At Nazareth College, we recognise that there is undoubted cultural benefit from oversea holidays, but this benefit should not be at the cost of educational achievement.  Parents are reminded to please ensure any planned holidays for Year 10 – 12 students use only the 14 available weeks of non-teaching time during the year, and it is also preferable for Year 7 – 9 students to avoid absence during the school term. Please also note that Year 9 – 11 examinations are only rescheduled for students with certified illness and will only be during the scheduled examination periods, as advertised in the College Calendar on PAM.

The ‘Every Day Counts’ site also contains case studies and advice for parents on how to handle different types of absences, stressing the importance of the partnership between parents and the school, and advising parents that where an absence is unavailable “make sure that you talk to your school in advance, and work with them to develop an absence learning plan”.

Extracts above from State Government Victoria: Education and Training > Attendance

Mid-Semester Reports and Student Progress Interviews 

As noted in our previous newsletter, formal Mid-Semester Reports will be available to parents on PAM on Tuesday 27 March. The rubric applied to the ratings on the reports is available to parents on PAM in the Knowledge Bank “Learning Handbook & forms” > Interim standards guide 2018.

During this same week, parents will receive emailed instructions for booking Student Progress interviews (via PAM) for Wednesday 18 April and Tuesday 24 April.  We encourage all parents to attend these interviews to speak directly with your child’s teachers to expand upon the Mid-Semester Report and consider the best to support your child(ren)’s learning.

Parents who have misplaced their PAM login details are encouraged to email the College ICT Help Desk via icthelpdesk@nazareth.vic.edu.au or phone the College and ask for the ICT Help Desk.

 

We again ask all parents to please ensure that email addresses are kept up-to-date to ensure smooth communication between the College and home.  This can be by contacting the college via phone, or directly through the ‘Parent eForms’ > ‘Change of Details’ section of the Nazareth College App, available by clicking the links here:

 

Mr David Broadbent

Assistant Principal - Learning