School attendance is a cooperative effort. Rockingham Senior High School welcomes involvement from parents, students and the wider community in accepting the responsibility for good attendance.
What you need to know
The WA Parliament passed legislation in November, 2005 to raise the school leaving age to 16 in 2006 and 17 in 2008. Legally, your child must be attending school, training, an apprenticeship or a traineeship, or approved full-time employment-or combination of part-time education/training and employment. Rockingham Senior High School has many innovative and flexible programs which are available to ensure the needs of your child are met.
Regular school attendance will mean that your child has a better chance in life. Your child will achieve better results when they go to school all day, every day. Regular attendance also sets up good behaviours for regular attendance at work. Every student at Rockingham Senior High School is expected to maintain an attendance rate at or above 90%. To achieve this, your child can only afford to be off school when they are sick. An attendance rate of less than 90% will affect your child’s learning and impact on their assessment results. Missing one day of school each week adds up to two months missed over a year.
How the Process Works
Period 1 class teachers mark absences on the school’s electronic roll. All late arrivals (after 8:30am) are to attend the front office, see the student attendance officer to note arrival time and obtain a late note for Period 1 teacher.
If your child does arrive after the siren has sounded and does not attend the front office to be marked as late not absent, a text will be generated. At a designated time each morning, the MSGU system links up with the School Absentee list and generates SMS’s to parents advising them of their child’s absence.
During periods 2, 3, 4 and 5, teachers mark their electronic roll and change any discrepancies.
Sub-school clericals send letters home fortnightly to inform parents of any absences that have occurred during the school day. Parents are expected to phone or write a letter of explanation to avoid receiving a clerical letter. Teachers are also urged to make contact with parents if absenteeism interferes with work. Chronic unexplained absenteeism is then referred to the school’s Youth Worker.
As a parent, you are required to send a note to the relevant sub-school explaining your child’s absence. A family holiday, helping at home, attending a siblings assembly, finishing an assignment, for example, are not considered by the Department of Education as an approved reason to be absent from school. Try not to schedule hair, dental or medical appointments during school hours. Absences from school also affects your student’s good standing and as such may prevent them from accessing extra-curricular reward activities, excursions or their ability to achieve at their highest level. Please organise all holidays within the designated school term breaks.
At Rockingham Senior High School, teachers are not expected to provide work for a student when they are on holidays. In accordance to the Whole School Assessment Policy, in cases where a student is unable to attend school to complete a scheduled assessment task, and where appropriate supervision can be provided and assured, the student may be given permission by the Associate Principal to complete that task in an alternative venue and time.
If you have any issues or concerns with regards to your child’s attendance, please contact the school for further support.