At Williamstown High School, student attendance is a high priority. We know that students who attend regularly are more likely to be successful and safe at school. To improve our attendance procedures, we will be informing parents/guardians via mobile phone messages (SMS) when their son or daughter is absent from school. Parents/guardians are asked to contact the school by 10.00am on the day they know their child is absent via our attendance hotlines and emails.
Bayview Campus Absences:
Students should give a note to the home group teacher upon returning to school if you have not replied to the SMS. Where a student is from a non-English speaking background, the note may be written by a parent or guardian in their own language. This note should contain the following information:
- date of note;
- date/s of absence/s;
- student name and home group;
- reason for absence;
- parent’s or guardians’ signature.
Bayview Campus (Years 7-9) Hotline: 9393 9097
Email: attendanceb@willihigh.vic.edu.au
Pasco Campus Absences:
Students at the Pasco Campus MUST present a Medical Certificate or Statutory Declaration to the Attendance Officer for absences to be categorised as “Department Approved/VCE Compliant”.
Pasco Campus (Years 10-12) Hotline: 9393 9018
Email: attendancep@willihigh.vic.edu.au
If a student is absent and a reason has been provided via the attendance hotlines prior to the start of classes that day, then parents/guardians will not get an SMS notification. If your child is absent without explanation, a notification via SMS will be automatically sent to your mobile phone explaining that the school records show that s/he is absent from school.
Parents/Guardians should then either reply via the link on the SMS, phone the attendance hotline or email the Attendance Officer at the relevant campus.
NOTIFICATION OF EXTENDED ABSENCE FROM SCHOOL
Extended-absence-from-school form
Extended absences from school can have implications on student learning and connectedness. Of course, some extended absences are unavoidable, such as illness, serious family situation and opportunities for family holidays.If you do wish to apply for approval for an extended absence we ask that you please complete the form below and submit the request to your Year Level Coordinators at least 4 weeks in advance of the proposed absence dates.
In preparation and planning for your absence students are asked to:
• See each teacher so that they can fill in a “Work to be Completed” form
• On return from the absence, the student and a parent may be requested to attend a meeting with their
Homegroup Teacher or Year Level Coordinators to support their transition back into classes.
Note: Please be aware that the school cannot guarantee participation or rescheduling of school events that may have occurred during the absence period, such as NAPLAN, exams, camps, excursion etc.
GROUP EVENTS UPDATES USING SMS Williamstown High School will also be using the SMS to contact parents with other important information. This will include reminders of events, arrival times of camps and excursions and other important information or emergencies that may arise.
PARENT MOBILE PHONE NUMBER DATA It is imperative that the school has your most current details. This way we can contact you in any emergency. Please contact the school whenever your details change so that your child’s records can be updated on 9399 9228 (Bayview Campus) or 9397 1899 (Pasco Campus).