Regular attendance is vital for student learning; promoting social inclusion and academic achievement.
Attendance and Absences
If for any reason your child is absent from school, a phone call to the school is required, preferably before 9am, to register this absence and also to provide a reason.
Automatic SMS messages are sent each morning to parents/carers informing them that their child is absent without notice.
Parents are required to inform the school with an explanation for all student absences by
- Compass App
- Email: Merredin.College@education.wa.edu.au
- Phone: 9041 7520
- Note/letter with child to give to Classroom Teacher or Student Services
Compass School Manager
Our school uses Compass, an online school management system, to manage student attendance and wellbeing and communicate school information across K-12. Compass enables; parents to notify the school of absences, access attendance history, view student timetables, view the school’s calendar and notices, email your child’s teachers and the opportunity to book meetings when Parent Teacher Evenings/afternoons occur throughout the year.
SMS messages sent by the school will be from ‘MDCollege’. Parents will be unable to reply to SMS messages instead receiving a link to access the Compass portal. Please note these links are safe to use, they are not spam.
Our main communication will transition to email, push notifications to the Compass application (app) and SMS (no reply).
Parent Codes for Compass are:
N – Notified Sick
A medical certificate is required for 3 or more consecutive days.
R – Reasonable Absence
An appointment which cannot be taken out of school hours or an absence which has been approved by the principal/deputy prior to the event.
V – Authorised Vacation
Parent/carer negotiate the absence in advance with principal/deputy and it is decided that there are reasonable grounds to approve the absence. Students may be required to complete a work package during the absence.
C – Cultural Reasons
Absent for cultural or religious reasons, for a time negotiated in advance. Includes funerals, sorry time and religious observances.
Please Note:
A reason for absence must be noted when advising an absence. If there is no reason noted, the absence will be recorded as an X (unacceptable reason) code.
Authorised Vacation or Cultural Reasons must be approved by the school prior to absences. Absences after the agreed time with no acceptable reason will be recorded with an X (unacceptable reason) code.
College Bell Times
Home room is only applicable to Secondary Students.
The College closes early on Wednesday for school development purposes.
It is advisable not to send children to school before 8:30am unless they are attending Breakfast Club which commences at 8.15 am. This is because there is limited supervision. Students who arrive before 8:30am are to sit outside their classrooms until the classroom doors are opened.
At Merredin College primary students are encouraged to join their teacher in the classroom when they arrive at school (after 8.30 am). This strategy means students are settled and well prepared for the school day.
If a student is to be collected during school hours, parents must go to the Primary office in order to request a Leave Pass, which is then given to the classroom teacher.
Lunch Passes
A lunch pass is issued only to students who live in town and on the understanding that they only go to their own home for lunch, not another student’s home and that no other students go home with them.
Students who wish to be able to go home for lunch, must first collect an application for a lunch pass request from Student Services. After parents or carers have completed the form, it is returned to Student Services for approval by a Deputy Prinicpal.
Late to School
Students who arrive late to school must report to Student Services and collect a late slip before going to class.
Leaving School Grounds
Students who need to leave the school during the day for an appointment or other valid reason, must have permission from parent/carer advised to Student Services prior to leaving. It is preferred that a signed note is taken by the student to class and shown to the teacher. The note gives the student permission to leave the class at the specified time.
Before leaving the school grounds, students must go to the Student Services office, to record their departure. The student will then be issued with a Student Leave Pass which they must take with them.
On returning to school students must present at Student Services before going to class so their arrival can be recorded and to receive an arrival note to present to the classroom teacher.
