General

It is a legal requirement that any absence must be covered by a phone call or written explanation from the student's parent or legal guardian. Our absentee line is open 24 hours every day. Parents are requested to ring the absentee line, 9354 7302 before 9.30am on the day of the absence with the following information: name of student

• year group
• day/date of absence
• reason for absence
• your name
• contact telephone number

The school will contact parents via an SMS message, if a student has been marked absent Period One and no contact has been made with the school. If there is no further contact with the school, a note must be placed in the Absentee Note box on the door of the Administration Office on the day of the student's return.

• Students with two or more absences without a satisfactory explanation may lose their Good Standing and be required to complete detention of one hour per unexplained absence until the matter has been resolved.
• Absences for holidays, study, non-attendance at carnivals, driving lessons (or similar which can be arranged out of school time) will be deemed as an “Absence without a satisfactory explanation”. This criterion will be used for reporting on student attendance for Youth Allowance purposes.
• Students needing to leave the school during the day must bring a note from parents authorising the absence and sign the Temporary Absence book at reception before school or recess time.
• Participation in Physical Education classes or Upper School Recreation is compulsory and only medical grounds can be accepted as legitimate reasons for absence or non participation.
• Students who arrive late to school need to sign in the late to school book. Persistent lateness for unsatisfactory reasons may result in after school detention.
• Students who are absent on the day of a school social event (river cruise, school ball, dinner dance, socials) will not normally be permitted to attend the event. In circumstances where the absence is unavoidable parents must contact the relevant Year Coordinator to seek permission for their son/daughter to attend the social event.

(a) Noted Leave

This is absence that is deemed to be taken at the discretion of the family (eg holidays) - thus there is a choice in the matter. Parents therefore must take responsibility for the consequences of this absence. The timetable, the learning program and the assessment schedule will proceed. Students have course and assessment outlines for all upper school subjects and many lower school subjects. The student or family should organise friends to collect materials and keep the absent student informed. Teachers may or may not be in a position to make arrangements to allow a student to meet assessment requirements.

Staff cannot be expected to undertake a significant additional workload nor jeopardise the integrity of their tests and assessments in order to meet the needs of students who are absent under these circumstances. As a consequence, there is a real possibility that a student’s results will be affected.

Families in this situation are advised to give staff as much prior warning as possible and can best facilitate this by using the Absence Advice form available from the Year Coordinator.

The school is limited in its ability to support students who travel overseas at times when assessments are scheduled. This is especially critical prior to holiday breaks. Families need to avoid removing students at this time unless there are exceptional circumstances. Reports will not be posted in this situation.


(b) Accepted Leave

This is leave sanctioned by the Principal for any student who is representing the school, state or nation at an approved sporting or cultural event. It is the student’s responsibility to apply for this leave at least three weeks prior to the absence. This application should be made through the Year Coordinator who will provide the student with the Absence Advice form. It is the student’s responsibility to organise students in each of his/her classes to collect materials and to submit work as negotiated with each teacher. Teachers will endeavour to support the student’s ongoing education and to minimise the impact of the absence on marks or outcomes, particularly if the student meets the negotiated work submission requirements.


(c) Sickness and Injury

Wherever possible, the student or family should organise friends to collect materials and communicate work requirements. Where there is the possibility of extended absence (more than a week), the family should also liaise with the Year Coordinator who will assist in ensuring the absent student has access to as much of his/her normal course work as possible. Teachers, where possible will support the student’s ongoing education and to minimise the impact of the absence on marks or outcomes.


(d) Students Absent From School For Extended Period Due To Sickness
For less than a week, the student is responsible for arranging for a fellow student or friend to act as courier to obtain work from the class teacher. For more than a week, the parent or guardian should contact the Year Coordinator, who may be able to arrange for work from teachers to be collected from reception.The services of Princess Margaret Hospital School Services may be called upon to assist in keeping the student up-to-date with his/her normal school program. Contact number is
9481 8450 (Fax: 9481 8453) on week days between 9.00am and 12.00 noon.


(e) School Excursions

While students will not be penalised in any way for attending an approved excursion, there may be circumstances where different assessment procedures may have to be used. Students are expected to ensure they catch up on any work missed while absent from school.


(f) Truancy
 
A student who truants(absents themselves without authority) on a day or from a class has chosen to forego their educational opportunities and as a consequence a mark of zero or an outcome of “not demonstrated” will normally apply. Students who truant will face after-school detention to make up for the time lost. For example, a student who truants for one school day will be given six hours detention. Parents will be notified of the truancy and it will be recorded as such on the school’s attendance register. Repeated acts of truancy in lower school will result in additional detention penalties. District Education Office Welfare Staff may also be formally advised. Senior students who repeatedly truant may face exclusion proceedings. All students who truant may also lose their Good Standing status.


(g) Suspension or Withdrawal

Students are required to continue to meet the requirements of their educational programs. Students should follow the program as well as they can from course outline materials and organise for friends in each of their classes to collect materials and keep them informed of tests and assessments. The students (or family) are to advise the relevant Deputy Principal of any difficulties in meeting this requirement. Where tests are set, the student should arrange with the Deputy Principal to sit the test in the isolation. The student must be delivered to the school and picked up from the school by a parent or a parent’s nominee. The student does not access any other part of the school nor communicate with other students while at the school. The student is expected to submit all work by the due date.


Lateness

It is the student’s responsibility to:

• Arrive at school on time.
• Move promptly to class during the day.

Students who arrive late to school must sign the late book and obtain a late note from student reception. Consequences will be imposed for repeated lateness to school. Frequent lateness for no valid reason will result in detention.It is important for students to arrive at class on time. Students who are delayed by a staff member should request a note so there is not an issue when the student arrives late to his/her next class. Staff keep records of students who arrive late to their class and may impose appropriate consequences. Repeated lateness will be viewed as a serious discipline issue and referred to the Deputy.No student will be admitted late to any class without a Late Note.Permission to Leave During the Day
Students needing to leave during the day (for dental/medical appointments etc), must bring a note from parents authorising the absence. Permission to Leave School notes must be collected from Student Reception before 9.00am or at recess. Students will sign the Temporary Absence File before receiving the permission slip to leave. On returning to school, students will enter the return time in the book and receive a Late Entry to Class slip.Permission to Be Out Of Class
No student is allowed out of class without written permission from a teacher.


Lunch Passes

Students wishing to go home on a regular basis for lunch must bring a letter authorising this from their parent or legal guardian. The Year Coordinator will issue a Lunch Pass which will be valid for one term.

The following conditions are attached to Lunch Passes:

• The student must go directly home for lunch.
• The student must return directly to school in time for class.
• The Lunch Pass must be shown to any teacher upon request.
• The Lunch Pass may not be loaned to another student.
• The student is not to take other students home for lunch.

Going home for lunch is not a recommended practice for students as the school believes this detracts from social interaction time in the school day.


Youth Allowance (Centrelink)

Students receiving Youth Allowance should be aware that where more than five days (ten half days) of non-approved absence occur, they will be interviewed by Centrelink. Further unapproved absences will result in an 18% reduction in the allowance for six months. Additional unapproved absences will lead to further reductions in the allowance.

This school will only authorise absences for which an acceptable written explanation has been received within 2 weeks of the student's non-attendance.