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Dear Students, Parents and Friends of John Therry,

As you all would be aware the tragic loss of a Year 12 student in a swimming accident during the holidays has brought into focus the fragile nature of life. Blayd was a happy student and talented musician who had just been accepted to Sydney College of Music for the start of his life after school. This sad event has profoundly affected all those who knew him, particularly his HSC classmates.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Lyddieth family in these trying times.

We wish our Year 12 students all the very best as they finish the final preparations for their HSC exams. Good luck to all.

PROGRESS IN LEARNING AND ABSENCE FROM SCHOOL

A recent article that I read talked of the importance of attendance in relation to student performance in schools. The primary purpose of a Catholic College is to give a quality education in a Gospel centered setting. This article linked a lack of academic achievement to student absenteeism. I reflected upon how this was affecting our community here at John Therry, even though the story refers to international data. The essence of the headline, is quite obvious and makes sense – when students are absent from classes there is an impact on their learning.

The question now becomes how do we rationalise or reduce the amount of class time a student misses? We all fully understand that there are times when absenteeism for students is unavoidable, illness and family issues contribute to this. Additionally, the holistic nature of a well - rounded Catholic educational experience requires students to be out of classes for faith-based, educational, sporting and cultural activities. Teachers accept these extra expectations, and the time they take, when programming their learning. These interruptions are worthwhile and are catered for in our curriculum planning.

The issue for students is when extra time is taken off College for activities that should be attended to on weekends or during holiday periods. I fully understand the financial stress that many families are under and the temptation to have the family holiday at low season prices during the school term. The complexities of Covid has increased pressure on some families. However, the cost to learning also needs to be understood here as well. I have had a number of discussions with families who have concerns about their son's or daughter's progress, yet attempt to explain away the unusually high number of explained absences recorded. Again the fact remains that when students are out of class there is an impact on learning. Given the fact that learning is contextual and sequential, absence from class puts pressure on students to catch up and ensure they have a full understanding of the work being done.

An associated issue here is the lesson that we are teaching the students in relation to their commitment to study or work requirements later in life? We certainly don't want our children to take a “lazy approach‟ to turning up consistently and turning up on time. The students hear the message constantly: “It is the little things that count”; in sporting terms “the 1 percenters‟. As we head into NRL finals it will be the 1 percenters that will determine winning sides.

Absenteeism is an example of getting the little things right. When students are absent from school and it becomes an issue, work is missed, stress levels rise; it can become a big issue if not managed well.

As with all areas for development in education, success lies in the partnership that exists between the home and the College. A partnership built on communication, collaboration and a shared vision for our wonderful students. In our John Therry community this partnership is strong and appreciated. Together we work towards getting the best for the students.

We have worked hard to improve John Therry in the last four years. We aim to make a good College, a great College. In doing so all areas of College life must be reviewed openly and fairly through the lens of improved student learning outcomes.

Parents and carers of Year 11 students will receive information early next week about the distribution of student reports and the subsequent parent teacher interviews on Wednesday 28th October. Meeting times will be available from 4:30-7pm and will take place via zoom. This is a very important opportunity to discuss student progress throughout year 11 and opportunities to make the most of the HSC year, and we hope all parents can join us.