Thank you for your understanding following the postponement of school photos last week. Unfortunately, the extreme winds caused a power outage that lasted the entire day. Despite the challenges, our teachers and students showed great resilience, continuing with teaching and learning throughout the day. We’re also grateful to our canteen staff, who managed to provide lunch to all students with orders, even under difficult conditions.

While the lack of power presented some hurdles, we were fortunate to still have access to running water and safe toilet facilities, which meant the school was able—and required—to remain open.

The recent extreme weather has also led to the postponement of our NAIDOC Week celebrations, originally scheduled for Wednesday 2 July. We look forward to celebrating this important occasion together at a later date, and we will communicate the new date with you as soon as it is confirmed.

At the start of Term 1, I shared information with the school community regarding changes to the CEDoW Attendance Policy. This information is repeated below:

Regular school attendance is important and is taken seriously by St Pius X and by Catholic Education, Diocese of Wollongong. This also pertains to partial attendances. It is essential that children arrive at school by 8:50am and join their class lines and remain at school for the duration of the school day. 

The school gates open at 8:20am each morning and supervision finishes at 3:30pm. Parents are requested to adhere to these times. Outside of these times our Outside Of School Hours (OOSH) service is available to all parents of the school. This service operates from 7.00am-8.50am and then 3.20pm-6.00pm.

If your child is absent from school for any reason, please enter the absence and the reason via Compass. 

Parents must complete an online “Notification of Extended Absence” form on COMPASS if requiring absence from school that is greater than 5 school days. The principal will review the notification and provide an “Acknowledgement of Extended Absence”. This will state whether the absence is either Approved or Not Approved by the school. If the extended absence is Not Approved (generally for reasons of travel/holiday) the student will be marked on the roll as ‘absent’. We strongly encourage families to organise holidays outside the school term.

We encourage parents where possible to book appointments outside school hours, if this is not possible your child is noted as a partial absence if they have to leave school early or arrive late. 

Attendance is monitored by the school and Catholic Education Office under our obligations with the Education Act. 

As we approach the school holidays, I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support throughout the term. I wish all our students and families a safe, restful, and joyful break. We look forward to welcoming everyone back refreshed and ready for Term 3 on Tuesday 22nd July.

Lisa Tyson

Principal