Attendance

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Students must attend school regularly as regular attendance at school is essential for students to achieve quality life outcomes. Schools, in partnership with parents, and carers, are responsible for promoting the regular attendance of students.

School attendance is recorded each day. As a parent or carer you are responsible for ensuring your child attends school every day, including sports days unless your child:

has an unavoidable medical or dental appointment (preferably these should be made after school or during holidays)
is required to attend a recognised religious holiday
is required to attend an exceptional or urgent family circumstance (such as attending a funeral)

is sick, or has an infectious illness.

Missing school means your son/daughter misses out on vital information and maintaining learning routines.

For more information about compulsory school attendance, visit:

Compulsory school attendance

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Parents or carers of children of compulsory school age are responsible for ensuring their child attends school every day. Children must commence school by age 6 and then complete Year 10.

After Year 10 and until they turn 17, students must be:

in school or registered for home schooling or
in approved education or training (e.g. TAFE, traineeship, apprenticeship) or
in full-time, paid employment (average 25 hours/week) or
in a combination of work, education and/or training.

Enrolled students 17 years and over are required to attend school regularly to meet Higher School Certificate course requirements.

Compulsory school attendance - information for parents and carers

Report a student absence

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Please contact the school before 10.00am to notify the MHS Administration Office staff if your child is absent. This will then be counted as an explained absence. This will also prevent a text message being sent to your mobile phone, thus saving us the cost of doing this. If you provide us with a parent mobile number we will text you after 11.00 am if we have not heard from you. Please text us back on 0418 245 356 and provide your child’s full name and a brief explanation of their leave. This will then be counted as an explained absence. If you do not call or text a letter is requested upon your child’s return. If you are planning for your child to be on leave for 5 or more days you need to contact the Deputy Principal as only a Regional Director can approve this leave.

It is important to note that students in Year 10, 11 and 12 require the Deputy Principal to sign a statement indicating that attendance, conduct and progress have been satisfactory.

Leaving Early

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To leave early for a good reason, (e.g. a medical appointment) a note is required, signed and dated by a parent or carer, and must be presented to the School Administration Officer in the administration office before roll call. Written permission to leave will then be given.

Absences – Student Leave of Absence in School Term for 5 days or more

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Travel is no longer exempted from school attendance when taken outside of school holiday periods. These periods are counted as absence for statistical purposes. If a student needs to be on extended leave for 5 or more days, the parent/carer needs to contact the MHS Administration Office and make an appointment with the Deputy Principal regarding this matter. If the student is going overseas, original travel documents need to be brought with you at the interview.

The Principal has the authority to grant some leave and exemptions depending on the circumstances. The parent/carer(s) must still make an 'Application for Extended Leave - Travel'. If the leave has been approved a 'Certificate of Extended Leave - Travel' will be issued and the absence will be recorded as 'L' Leave and if the leave has not been approved the absence will be recorded as 'A' Unjustified.