Dear Parents/Carers

We enjoyed a fantastic day last Friday at the annual swimming carnival. The participation of students in serious swimming events, novelty pool events and other fun activities was a delight to witness. Encouraged by enthusiastic staff adorned in various costumes supporting their House, there was a great spirit to the day. The building of this House spirit and healthy competition is something that is wonderful about schools. I was really proud of the students, some of whom, despite perhaps not being elite swimmers, were prepared to get in and have a go, and earn points for their House.

As members of a faith community, we gathered on Tuesday to celebrate our Opening College Mass. At this celebration, our youngest members of the community were formally welcomed into their school. We also commissioned our Year 12 Leaders in the presence of their families. We gave thanks to God for our year ahead.

It is events like these – carnivals and eucharistic celebrations amongst many others – where we come together as a whole community for a specific purpose and as a form of learning that is different to regular classroom lessons. These are vital to our identity as a school, and are integral to the education we offer.

In 2024 there are approximately 178 school days (averaged over Years 7-12) that require student attendance. This is exclusive of school holidays, public holidays, moderation days, and staff development days. There are 366 days in this calendar year. So, our students are required to attend school for about half of the year.

For the past three years according to the My School website (myschool.edu.au), student attendance for all year levels at St John Paul II College, averages out at 86%. On our swimming carnival day, more than one-third of our College did not attend. My only response to this is one of disappointment: that our students did not feel that the day was important enough or necessary in which to be an active participant, and, that more than a few parents seemingly excused their child’s attendance for whatever reason. Granted, some students will have had genuine reasons such as illness, for not attending. This does not however account for the 344 students who absented themselves on this day. I remind parents that if your child was absent last Friday you are required to provide a reason for that absence. If you do not do so, then the absence will be recorded on school reports as unexplained. 

If we desire to be a vibrant, high-performing College, we must partner with one another and send strong messages to our children and adolescents that every school day, regardless of the activity, is a seriously worthwhile day to attend. The students who were absent last Friday missed an opportunity to further develop ties with their peers, to compete in a safe, friendly environment, to have fun with the whole community, and to develop a sense of House spirit and College pride. This too is learning and speaks to social, practical and life learning.

I implore parents not to succumb to their child’s excuses for not attending such days. I ask that you insist that your child’s attendance at school (for all events) is sacrosanct, and cannot be bargained. Most often, reasons like “it’s not important” or “no-one cares” are flimsy at best. We will never know what we might just miss out on if we do not turn up. Indeed, turning up is often the only important first step to take. The rest often sorts itself out without fuss or fanfare. I look forward to a much improved attendance at our Athletics carnival on Thursday 7 March.

We can be an awesome school. Of this I am firmly convinced. Lacklustre effort though speaks more to complacency and not aspiration. What I pray for your children is that they aspire to know more, be more, and be active participants in their College community, and thus, our world.

Dr Craig Wattam
Principal