ATTENDANCE MATTERS 

Our aim at Our Lady of the Southern Cross College is for every child to have every chance to succeed. Students who attend less than 93% are disadvantaged in their learning and those who attend less than 80% are grossly disadvantaged. Poor attendance has a considerable impact on both learning and social needs. Did you know that having just one day off a fortnight equates to missing more than ONE YEAR of learning over 12 years? Obviously, if your child is unwell it is advisable to stay home, however you should avoid keeping your child home for unnecessary reasons. There is no surprise that children who attend school every day are happier, have better friendship groups, have a brighter future and learn better. Establishing good routines around school can assist with regular school attendance. Some ideas that can assist with this include: 

• have a set time to go to bed
• send your child to school every school day including their birthday and the last day of term
• have a set time to get out of bed
• have uniform and school bag ready the night before 
• have a set time for finishing and starting breakfast
• set a time for daily homework activities
• speak about school positively