At St Michael’s we strive to create a vibrant Catholic school community where every student finds meaning and purpose in their life through experiencing continual growth in faith and improvement in learning. In doing this, we provide a caring teaching and learning environment that addresses the learning and wellbeing of students, including those with additional learning, wellbeing and health needs. 

Regular attendance at school for every student is therefore essential for their improvement in learning, development and social emotional wellbeing. Every minute matters and there is no safe level of absenteeism.

While parents are legally responsible for the regular attendance of their children at school, school staff, as part of their duty of care and legal obligation must keep an accurate enrolment and attendance register in the form approved by the NSW Education Minister. 

Parental responsibilities include:

• enrolling their children of compulsory school age (between the ages of six and seventeen) in a government or registered non‐government school or registering them with the New South Wales Education Standards Authority (NESA) for home schooling;

• ensuring that their children attend school every day the school is open for instruction;
• explaining the absences of their children from school promptly by means such as a telephone call, written note, text message, email to the school or via the compass portal within 7 days from the first day of any period of absence;

• working in partnership with the school to plan and implement strategies to support regular attendance at school, including communicating with the school if they are  aware of issues impacting on their child's attendance or engagement with school. 

The Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong (CEDoW) supports schools to maintain the enrolment and attendance register that includes; Daily attendance, absences, reason for absence, correct use of the attendance codes and documented records of the Minister’s delegation under section 25 of the Education Act.

An effective means of restoring and maintaining regular school attendance includes sound attendance monitoring practices and regular follow‐up of unexplained absences by contacting parents promptly.

As part of attendance monitoring practices and regular follow-up of absences I would like to highlight the following school processes.

• Daily notifications via compass of absences.
• Letters regularly sent to parents to follow-up unexplained absences.
• Repeated and ongoing late arrivals or early departures recorded as an absence.
• Family Extended Leave (Travel and Holidays) to be taken during school vacation periods.
• An Application for Extended Leave (Travel / Holiday) must be completed and submitted to the principal prior to the travel or holiday period.
• For students participating in elite arts or elite sporting programs who are required to attend regular activities/training during school time an Application for Exemption from Attendance / Enrolment at School must be completed and submitted to the principal for approval prior to commencing the program. 

Please note: 

• Elite Arts is defined as an opportunity for a student to participate in an event or program that is beyond the gifted and talented opportunities that CEDoW offers. 
• Accredited Elite Sports programs include national and international sports organisations which run camps for athletes and national sports squads in which students have been selected to participate.

Regular attendance is important and the school, in partnership with parents, seeks to support the regular attendance of students at school. Please contact the school to discuss any attendance matter as required. 

God Bless

Mrs Belinda Hughes - Principal