Wellbeing Corner
Every Day Counts – The Importance of School Attendance
As we progress through the academic year, it’s timely to revisit a fundamental aspect of student success: consistent school attendance. Regular attendance is not just about meeting a requirement; it’s about ensuring our students have every opportunity to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.
Why Attendance Matters
The NSW Department of Education mandates a minimum attendance rate of 90% for students. This benchmark is set because research consistently shows that students who attend school regularly are more likely to:
· Achieve higher academic outcomes
· Develop stronger social connections
· Establish positive routines and habits
· Feel a greater sense of belonging within the school community.
Conversely, frequent absences can lead to gaps in learning, increased feelings of isolation, and heightened stress levels.
Understanding Absences
We recognise that there are legitimate reasons for students to miss school, such as:
· Illness or infectious diseases
· Unavoidable medical appointments
· Exceptional or urgent family circumstances (e.g. attending a funeral)
In such cases, it is essential to inform the school promptly and provide an explanation within seven days of the absence. This ensures accurate record-keeping and allows us to offer appropriate support if needed.
The Impact of Lateness
Arriving late to school can disrupt a student’s learning and the classroom environment. Students who are late may miss crucial instructions, feel unsettled, and find it challenging to catch up. We encourage all students to arrive no later than 8:40 AM for an 8:45 AM start to ensure a smooth start to their day.
Collaborative Efforts for Improvement
If your child’s attendance falls below the 90% threshold, our Wellbeing Team will reach out to discuss strategies for improvement. This may include developing an attendance plan, providing additional support, or connecting with external resources. Our goal is to work collaboratively with families to address any barriers to regular attendance.
Resources for Parents and Carers
For further information and support, the NSW Department of Education offers comprehensive resources: · School Attendance Information for Parents
These resources provide valuable insights into the importance of attendance and practical tips for supporting your child’s consistent school participation.
Thank you for your continued partnership in fostering a supportive and successful learning environment for all our students.
If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s attendance, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s Year Adviser or the Head Teacher Wellbeing.
Harding Miller Scholarship Success!
On Monday, Year 9’s Rita Munoz and Michelle Cam attended the Harding Miller Foundation Scholarship award ceremony, a special event recognising high-achieving young girls from public high schools across Australia. The scholarship provides academic and personal support to help female students reach their full potential. As follows:
Held in the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth, we met 79 other recipients of the scholarship from the Sydney and ACT region and throughout the day we participated in events such as a Q&A with Harding Miller Foundation alumnae, friendly questionnaires with each other, a short Kahoot, followed by a raffle (in which Michelle won a big prize) and an 81 girl chain of whisper (which went catastrophically wrong, as all games of whisper do) to gain a better understanding of the foundation and to connect with and create friendships and networks with the girls in our cohort.
After an amazing afternoon tea, parents and guardians arrived, as well as our donors. We learnt that our scholarships were sponsored by Sydney Airport, meeting with two representatives from the company. In the evening, our awards ceremony consisted of an Acknowledgement to Country by one of the other scholarship recipients, a self-choreographed Aboriginal dance, a song by a self taught opera singer, and a performance by the School Spectacular Arts Unit, then we received our awards.As recipients of this scholarship, we’re incredibly thankful for the opportunity and look forward to making the most of this generous support to achieve future goals and give back in return!
Rita Karina Munoz and Michelle Cam, Year 9
Year 9 Study Skills Workshop: Building Strong Habits Early
In Week 4, Year 9 had three periods of study skills sessions, where we learnt new ways to approach our studies and refined our current studying skills. There were three sessions A, B and C, where each session took a different approach to the broad topic of studying. Session A was with Ms Lawson, our year adviser, where she answered some of the questions our year group had about studying. She also recommended a method of studying called the Pomodoro method, and similar to the Pomodoro method, we took a 5 minute break every 20 minutes during the session. Session B was with Ms Nolan, our co-year adviser, where she focused on a problem everyone has at least once suffered before; procrastination and provided us with tactics to help tackle procrastination such as chunking and backwards mapping. Session C was with four of the current Year 12s, where they were able to provide insight to some of their experiences in their senior years and give us advice, and an idea of what to expect in the future. Overall, the study skills session has been successful to all of Year 9, these three sessions were able to introduce our cohort to various methods of studying, help us find techniques that can guide us when preparing for assessments, overcome procrastination and set us up in the right direction to studying success.
Xixi He, Year 9
Kristina Smith
Head Teacher Wellbeing
Fort Street High School