As we approach the second term holidays, we can look back on a very successful term. Students and staff have been involved in a wide range of events as the COVID-19 restrictions eased. Once again, we have enjoyed and celebrated many successes.

Regular Attendance

Students must attend school regularly so they can achieve their educational best and increase their career and life options. In NSW, all children from the age of 6 are legally required to attend school or be registered for home schooling through the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA). All students must complete Year 10, or its equivalent, and remain in school, employment or training until they turn 17.

Students who are absent from school miss out on valuable instruction and information in their learning. This can result in a loss of confidence and missing out on forming vital friendships. Regular attendance in classes is needed to fully understand the course work. Of course, sometimes our students are sick and need to stay home to get well, and that’s OK! When students are absent, they can catch up on the class work by visiting their Google Classroom page.

What your child learns each day builds on what they learned the day before. If they miss school, their learning routine is broken. When your child misses one day per fortnight, they miss upwards of 4 weeks per year, which equates to one year missed over their school life. The chart below shows how every day at school counts. 

If your child is not meeting the NESA requirements and satisfactorily completing course work, Years 10 – 12 students are awarded a ‘Non-Completion Warning’ (or N-letter). Students in Years 7 – 9 receive an ‘Unsatisfactory Progress’ letter. This term, students who have received these letters are due to frequent absences, resulting in missing important course work and not completing assessment tasks. The letter is posted home, which outlines the issue of concern and the date by which students should redeem the outcomes of the missed work. If the problem is not corrected, students may receive an ‘N’ determination. This means the course will not be listed on the student’s Record of School Achievement (RoSA) or Transcript of Study.

Year 12

Year 12 students are heading into their last term of school, which will be a very busy term. Trials start at the end of Week 3 for 2 weeks. A copy of the trial examination timetable is below. Practical courses will have their HSC major works submitted during the term and students will prepare for their final HSC examinations. I encourage all students to use their holiday time wisely to balance revision and relaxation. Year 12, continue to work hard, you are nearly there!

Term 3 reminders, Weeks 1 and 2…

• School will resume on Tuesday 19 July, timetable Day 2, with Monday 18 July being a pupil-free day for a staff professional learning day.
• College NAIDOC service will be held on Thursday 28 July.
• Tuesday 2 August we will celebrate students' Semester 1 results at a College Awards Assembly.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you an enjoyable holiday and thank you for your continued support.

Sandra Harris

Assistant Principal Learning and Improvement