CHS Attendance Policy & Procedures
The Education Act 1990 requires that parents ensure their children of compulsory school age are enrolled at, and regularly attend school, or, are registered with the Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards for homeschooling.
Once enrolled, children are required to attend school each day it is open for students. When your child attends school every day, learning becomes easier and your child will build and maintain friendships with other children.
The Cammeraygal school day starts with Period 1 at 9:00am every day. Special Religious Education (SRE) occurs on Monday afternoon at 2:30pm. Students who do not participate in SRE will finish school at this time. All other school days finish at 3pm (except some senior classes which have Period 6 that finishes at 4pm).
Punctuality and regular attendance are important habits that students need to develop in preparation for work and life in general and there is ample evidence that students who attend regularly and are punctual to all lessons are more likely to achieve their personal best in study. Latecomers, and those with irregular attendance, negatively affect the continuity of their learning. Latecomers also disrupt the lessons of their peers.
Late Arrivals
To be marked 'present' students must be sighted at the beginning of the lesson by their Period 1 teacher.
Students who arrive late must sign in at the Public Reception desk at the Front Office. If they do not sign in at the office a whole day absence will be recorded on their attendance record and parents will receive a text message that says they are absent.
Parents will be notified by SMS of a late arrival.
Early Leavers
Students requiring to leave school early should bring a signed permission note from their parent stating date, student's name, Roll Call class, time of departure and reason. The note should be presented to the Deputy Principal prior to the start of day for approval and shown to the relevant class teacher when leaving.
Before leaving the school grounds students must hand in the note and sign out at the Front Office. Students will be issued with a Leave Pass. These passes are valid on the day and time of issue only.
If a student will be returning to school after an appointment, they are required to sign back in at the Front Office.
If children are not feeling well while at school they are to report to the Front Office who will assess the situation and contact parents accordingly.
Extended Leave
If a student is going to be absent from school for more than 5 school days parents need to complete an Application for Extended Leave - Travel or an Application for Exemption from Attendance form if participating in an elite sporting event or elite arts program or if employed in the entertainment industry. These forms can be obtained from the Front Office and are required to be completed in advance and addressed to the Principal for consideration.
Please note that under DoE guidelines students will no longer be issued with an exemption for family holidays or travel during school term and approval is at the Principal's discretion. Such leave, if approved, will be entered as Explained Leave and student attendance data will be reduced as a result. Parents are strongly advised to avoid using non vacation time for family travel.
In some circumstances students may be eligible to enrol in distance education for travel periods over 50 school days. This should be discussed with your child’s school Principal.
