Dear Community.
I write this letter with the utmost respect.
In recent times we have all been sent the message of staying home if we are unwell particularly in the COVID 19 pandemic. As we start moving past this time there is a push from our Government to get us back on track again with the aim of improving attendance nationwide.
There is a large body of evidence that shows poor school attendance is directly linked to poor educational outcomes and then less choices in employment as an adult. This is why we are aiming to improve our school attendance from here.
We are aiming to have 70% of our school population attend school 90% of the time. We currently have 51.7% of our school population attending 90% of the time. As you can see there is a shortfall of about 18.3%. A number of children are in the 80% attendance area, meaning with a bit of effort we could achieve this Ministry of Education goal.
We also understand some of you have had genuine reasons for absences. We acknowledge that and do not diminish that and accept parents know what is best for their children.
However, what we ask is for all parents to put a critical lens on their child’s attendance and double check if a day off could well have been a day at school instead.
I will post termly attendance rates from here and ask for your support in trying to reach the Ministry of Education attendance goals for the good of our children’s education.
Kindest regards
Phil Wheeler
Principal
