Assistant Principal - Mission and Wellbeing
Attendance Matters at St Paul’s College in 2024
The nature of schools allows for the collection of interesting and rich data which helps shape decision making for future improvements. At the conclusion of Term 1, a review was conducted of opportunities for students outside the classroom and in the fifty days of Term 1, seventy three such experiences were available to students. A number of sporting opportunities were provided to students including: Bill Turner Cup; CCC Touch Championships at Tuggerah; College, Diocesan and CCC Swimming Carnivals; selection opportunities to represent the Diocese of Lismore in netball, rugby league, soccer, touch football; NRL Refereeing Course; Rugby Union 10's Gala Day; RTS Surfing competition; and Junior and Senior Cross Country.
There were a number of excursions supporting the classroom experience, including: 12SLR Assessment at Kempsey Golf club; the 2024 Bravissimo Concert at Port Macquarie; the Sydney HSC CAPA and Science excursions; the CSU Explore Day at Port Macquarie; the St Paul's College senior student presentations to Kempsey Shire council; the Indigenous Youth Connecting to Culture gathering; Agriculture students participating at the Wauchope, Kempsey and Macksville shows; class visits to Hands and Hearts child care facility from HSC Early Childhood Care and Education students; the Shakespeare Drama Carnival; UNSW and University Regional Roadshows; the Academy of Enterprising Girls Program; Year 11 Geography fieldwork at Dorrigo and the YOU Choose - Road Safety for Year 12 students.
There have been a number of evangelisation opportunities provided for our students, including: 10CYM class supporting St Patrick’s Macksville and St Joseph’s Kempsey; Year 7 Gideon Bibles Presentation; LEAD at Grafton; Transitus Retreat; the Year 7 Belonging Day; the World Day Of Prayer at St Paul's College; the Karios senior retreat at Bonny Hills and the Vincent Court visits by Year 11 Catholic Faith in Action.
This is an impressive list of opportunities for students at St Paul’s outside of the classroom in a single Term, however students will not be invited to attend such activities if their attendance at school is not considered as being reasonable. If a student is unwell they should not attend the College and should remain at home to recover their health. Compass provides parents/carers with the ability to justify such absences.
If students present a record of unreasonable attendance, their parents/carers will be contacted and once the attendance pattern improves they are very welcome to attend opportunities outside of the classroom. This policy also applies to students who do not consistently attend important celebrations at the College and demonstrate a pattern of absence during the final weeks of Term. The expectation is that students should be attending school unless they are unwell. If you have any questions regarding these matters, you are very welcome to contact me at the College.
Mr Geoffrey Melville - Assistant Principal - Mission and Wellbeing