Message from the Principalal-taqwa.vic.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/newsletter-95...ISSUE 95 FEBRUARY AL-HIDAYAH 3 Dear Parents, Students & Friends ASSALAMU ALAIKUM STUDENT LUNCHES

I S S U E 9 5 / / F E B R U A R Y / / A L - H I D A Y A H 1

A L - H I D A Y A H

M A R C H1 PD Day, 1/2 day for students early dismissal7 School Tour by appointment only

12 Labor Day Public Holiday14-15 School Photos13 Y7 Vaccinations16 Anti Bullying Day

24 College Open Day28 Last day of Term 1 for students29 Curriculum Day30 Good Friday Public Holiday

Important Dates

A L - TA Q WA C O L L E G E

C O N TA C T D E TA I L S

[email protected]

tel (03) 9269 5000fax (03) 9269 5070

201 Sayers RdTruganina VIC 3029

OUR MISSIONAl-Taqwa College aims to produce good ref lective self-directed learners who have

problem-solving skills and critical thinking abilities.

It aims to be a place where the individuality of each person is recognised, and where that recognition is ref lected in the College’s curriculum diversity and f lexibility, diverse

teaching strategies and student centered processes. The College aims to create a school environment that instills in students love and obedience to Allah (swt) in accordance with the sayings and deeds of the Prophet Muhammad (saw) and enables them to benefit from

the teachings of the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet Mohammad (pbuh).

Message from the Principal A S S A L A M U A L A I K U M W B T

Welcome to Term 1 for 2018! I hope this will be a blissful year with Barakah and Nikmah from Allah (swt)! We cherished our achievements of 2017 and look ahead with much enthusiasm to continue to improve. I am very happy with the NAPLAN and VCE/VCAL results for 2017 and extremely happy with the cooperation and commitment from our leaders, teachers and administration staff which resulted in a tremendously successful year for Al-Taqwa College.

During the summer holidays, we had a Special Awards Presentation for 33 VCE students with outstanding ATAR Scores. They deserved their Awards and made their parents and our College very proud. Congratulations to all students and I wish them every success in their chosen career paths.

O V E R S E A S V I S I T O R SSo far this term we welcomed a group of Chinese visitors from Shadian College, Yunnan. They visited our College in reciprocation of our group’s visit during September last

Al-Taqwa Students at the Special Award presentation

year. During the visit, they had the opportunity to mingle with our staff and learned about the Australian Curriculum. They expressed their enjoyment the warm hospitality from members of Al-Taqwa College.

Shadian College Visitors

Quality Education for Quality Life


The Principal of Shadian College was pleased to have met our College staff and students. During the tour, the group were amazed at the growth of the College within the 30 year timespan. He said that he had learnt a lot about leadership during their stay here. He extended an invitation to Al-Taqwa’s staff and students to revisit them in China in the near future.

At the start of February, we organised an Immersion/Study Group Program with the Global Islamic Boarding School (GIBS), Kalimantan, Indonesia. The group, consisting of three staff and 46 male students who stayed for two weeks. As part of the program, the students joined our classes studying together with our Year 9 to 11 students. They also participated in the Sports Day and other sporting competitions organised by the Head of KLA for Health and PE. I would like to thank the Secondary Department for their effort in assisting this program and organising student buddies to the GIBS students. Included in the program, were visits and lots of sightseeing including Melbourne

University, RMIT, Werribee Mansion, Victoria Market and the Ballarat Sovereign Hill Museum.

We are expecting another group of female students from GIBS between March and April, inshaAllah. The current group of boys will be departing Melbourne on 26 March. We hope the program will enrich the teaching and learning between our schools, as we exchanged innovation from each other.

I wish everyone all the best for Year 2018.

Wassalam

O M A R H A L L A KPrincipal

Imam Ma Chun Wu with Mr Hallak

Mr Ma Guo Xuan, Principal of Shadian College and Mr Omar Hallak.

GIBS first day briefing at Al-Taqwa

Principal, Omar Hallak greets GIBS’ boys during Sports Day.

Media interview with GIBS personnel

GIBS students at Melbourne University


Dear Parents, Students & FriendsA S S A L A M U A L A I K U M

S T U D E N T L U N C H E S We are being inundated with parents arriving at the front office thorughout the entire day with their child’s lunch. Please ensure that your child has a healthy packed lunch in their school bag before they leave home in the morning. This creates a lot of wasted time for our staff.

L A T E A R R I V A L S A N D E A R L Y D I S M I S S A L S We are still experiencing many students arriving late each day. School commences at 8.50am and all students are expected to arrive ontime. If you are finding heavy traffic in the mornings, try the new carpark and if you can leave 10 minutes earlier each day, this will ensure an early arrival.

If your child is required to be collected early due to an appointment, please advise the Administration Office so they can have your child waiting for you in the foyer. Students who fall ill during the day will be contacted by the Nursing staff for collection from the First Aid Department.

Students must carry their ID cards in their school bags at all times.

S T U D E N T A P P O I N T M E N T STo avoid disruption to your child’s learning it is requested that medical or other appointments for your children are made outside of school hours.

S P A R E C L O T H I N GWe have many younger students presenting to the front office due to bathroom accidents. For parents with children in Foundation and Grade 1, can you please provide an extra pair of pants, underwear and socks in their school bags.

S P E E D I N GOver the course of the year, we have found many parents speeding in the car parks. As you can imagine this is extremely dangerous especially when smaller children pop out between cars. Please follow the actions of our staff on duty and keep in line with the speed on the school grounds at all times.

S T U D E N T I D C A R D SAll students should have their own ID cards now, please ensure that your child keeps their ID card in their school bag at all times.

a m e s s a g e f r o m a d m i n

P R I M A R Y1 & 5 March Polly Woodside Excursion G4s5-6, 20 & 22 March Ripponlea Excursion, G1s6-8 March Aboriginal Excursion, G3s13 & 19 March Sovereign Hill Excursion, Y5s19 March History Box Inc G2s19-20 & 27 March ACMI Excursion, Foundation20 March ANZAC Excursion, Sel SRC students9-13 April Canberra Camp, Sel G6 students

don’t forgetS E C O N D A R Y1 March PD Day students dismissed at 12.305 March Tennis Excursion, Selected Year 8s6-9 March Camp Coorong Year 7 Boys6 March Analysing Medea Inc Year 12s7 March Volleyball Excursion, Selected Year 9/10 Girls 7 March Bunjlaka Aboriginal Culture Centre Exc, Y12s13 March Vaccinations Year 713 March Cricket, Selected Y9/10 Boys14 March Tennis Excursions, Selected Year 7 & 8s19-24 March Career Week, Secondary19 March Netball Excursion, Selected Year 7 Girls20-23 March Camp Coorong, Year 11 boys20 March ANZAC Excursion, Selected SRC students28 March Volleyball Excursion, Selected Year 9/10 Girls

W H O L E S C H O O L A C T I V I T I E S1 March PD Day students dismissed at 12.307 March School Tour 12 March Labour Day Public Holiday14-15 March School photo days16 March Anti Bullying Day

21 March Harmony Day24 March Open Day 11am to 2pm28 March End of Term 129 March Curriculum Day30 March Good Friday Public Holiday16 April First Day of Term 2


H e a l t h & S a f e t y

COLLEGE TOURSTours of the College are available by appointment

only on specific days. If you wish to visit the School and view our facilities, please contact the

Administration Office on 9269 5000 to arrange a day.

2018 College tours commence at 9.15am on the following dates

7 M A R C H2 M A Y

6 J U N E 1 A U G U S T

5 S E P T E M B E R 1 0 O C T O B E R 7 N O V E M B E R

BOOKINGS ARE ESSENTIALThis is a great way to see the College in action.

OHSAssalamu Alaikum A warm health and safety welcome back to you all and best wishes for a wonderful 2018 College year to all ATC families. As the College grows and develops there will be at times, necessary advances in order to continuously improve our traffic and car park safety management. We ask that all parents/guardians please ensure that you follow the instructions of our staff on duty and thank you for your help and cooperation. Please abide by the signage and safety directions of staff. Also ensure that your children are exiting your vehicles safely. At the drop off zone, ensure your children exit on the pedestrian side of the drop off zone to keep them away from moving traffic. Do not leave any children or pet’s unattended inside vehicles.

Most importantly, ensure that your child is properly restrained in the car especially whilst it is moving. We have many parents driving through our carpark refusing to ensure seatbelts are fastened with all passengers.

We thank you for your support and dedication together to keep our children and families safe.

Y O L A N D A S U T H E R L A N D , C A H R IHuman Resources Manager

First Aid NewsTo ensure your child’s year starts smoothly, we seek your cooperation and understanding. Here are some reminders that I would like to bring to your attention.• Your child’s health and safety is extremely important

to us. Therefore, we need to know about any medical conditions your child has. We request that you provide the school with a valid Action Plan and Medical Kit (if required) such as Ventolin, spacer &/or an Epipen®. The Action Plan must be completed in consultation with your family doctor, returned as soon as possible and must be reviewed annually.

• If your child requires medication during school hours, any medication must be in its original packaging with clear instructions (ie: dosage, frequency etc). If the medication is to be administered daily, please provide the school with a stamped letter from your doctor.

• To minimise the spread of head lice, please ensure you regularly check your child’s hair for head lice. If you suspect or find head lice on your child, please start treatment as soon as possible and only use treatments made for removing head lice. If head lice have been found in your child’s hair, you will be notified to pick up your child and start treatment as soon as possible. As set out in the Health (Infectious Diseases) Regulation 2001 Exclusion Table, students identified with live head lice should be excluded from school until treatment has started.

• If your child suffers from hayfever, please give them a dose of antihistamine such as Zrytec, Telfast or Clarytine before school. This will cover them for the entire day.

• We support all students who suffer from food allergies and Anaphylaxis. We are committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for our students. While ‘banning’ particular foods and declaring schools to be ‘nut-free’ is not possible, however we would like to seek your support and assistance to not pack certain foods such as eggs, nuts and Nutella or peanut butter sandwiches. This is for the health and safety of those children who have food allergies.

• Lastly, to all parents of Foundation students and lower primary levels, I strongly encourage you provide a change of clothes such as underpants, pants/dress in a plastic bag in case of bathroom accidents or vomiting.

It is helpful to us as a school community to have good communication with you at all times. The more information we have, the more we can help your child be healthy and to succeed. Do not hesitate to contact me on 9269 5055 or book an appointment so I may be of assistance to ensure your child’s healthcare needs.

I wish you and your children good health.

R O S L Y N N A S I RSenior School Nurse


S t u d e n t S e r v i c e s

Student of the Month - Responsibility

FA Khoder AbdouFB Sohaib AghbashFC Sera OsmanFD Darine Osman TalebFE Asia AbdulahiFF Aya TalebFG Emine El KerdiFH Bilal Irawan

1A Othman Ebrahim1B Suhala Kassem1C Sidrah Ziauddin1D Naira Irawan1E Zainab Khan1F Muniba Chowdhury1G Tasneem Salah Aldin1H Amelia Hussein

2A Nadine Taleb2B Areej Ahsan2C Eimaan Mehmood2D Zoya Ali2E Aya Elamin2F Sakeenah Khan2G Khaldia Mohamad2H Mia Osman

3A Aisha Kamarddine3B Abdirahman Ali3C Ibraheem Mohamed3D Hafsa Syeda3E Saliha Zameel3F Soha Hasan3G Mussabuddin

Mohammed3H Rayna Mahmood3I Hajar Khatib

4A Kadija Kamareddine4B Mousa Nasser4C Zoha Azmi4D Samer Al-Wandi4E Dalal Taleb4F Safiya Naz4G Areesha Khan4H Amal El Chakik4I Hamza Mohamed

5A Afiya Shaik5B Amorr Melhem5C Ibrahim Abdo5D Reanne Abou-Zeid5E Karim Abdou5F Nociha Rahman5G Feenet Elias5H Abbas Mohammed5I Affan Ahmad

6A Yasmine Kabbout6B Nurein Syeda6C Akram Khaldi6D Saad Barakat6E Asiyah Zahraman6F Sara Cuka6G Abdirahman Mahamud

“So whosoever does good equal to the weight of an atom (or a small ant), shall see it. And whosoever does evil equal to the weight on an atom (or a small ant), shall see it.”Surah Az-Azlzalah: Ayab 7/8

I am, as always, humbled by the honour of coordinating this Department and am truly blessed to have another year. A warm welcome to the new families, as well as re-connecting with the old. It is such a pleasure to see all the new faces and the excitement of students greeting their friends.

This year we welcomed two beautiful, energetic and vibrant new members into our Department. We have two amazing Speech Pathologists, Marila Kozdra and Senali Alahakone. We also welcome back our lovely support staff, Nuray Yetismis, Shahina Jehan and Inun Siyadha. Together we will face any challenge head on and contribute to the sweet success of our students. We also work very closely with the Principal, teachers, professional consultants, therapists and most important advocates of all ... parents, who are equal shareholders to equip our children with a strong foundation for lifelong learning.

Students with special needs are children first. They have every right to be treated in the same way as all children. Once a student is identified, a special program is put into place, goals are set and the intervention is in motion. It is imperative that parents inform the school of any concerns so that early intervention can begin. With the correct intervention and support, any student can succeed and become a successful adult.

Parent support groups have begun and I am looking forward to catching up with the rest of the lovely parents. If you have any concerns, please feel free to contact me as I believe in building rapport and developing relationships of trust is of the utmost importance.

N A Z I A S U L I M A NStudent Services Coordinator


S E E P N e w s

Assalamu alaikum

Welcome to another exciting year of SEEP. Our enrichment Program provides students with opportunities to participate in a variety of academic-based programs both in literacy and numeracy. The program motivates the students to embark on a learning trajectory that goes beyond the boundaries set in a traditional pedagogic environment. It has been an exciting start to the new year with loads of activities and fun events to look forward to.

In literacy, the Grade 3 SEEP students created a range of imaginative and persuasive texts including narratives and expositions. Students engaged with a variety of texts for enjoyment. They listened to, read, viewed and interpreted spoken, written and multimodal texts in which the primary purpose wass to entertain, as well as texts designed to inform and persuade. Students started using Padlet to create and collaborate with other students in class and do their weekly journal writing and reflections online. Our Grade 4 SEEP kicked off the year with an idea board task, planning their goals and aspirations for 2018 with realistic steps to achieve them. The theme of their classroom for 2018 is saving nature and being in sync with it - the Lorax is their mascot.

The Grade 5 SEEP students settled well into their class. The students are extending their English reading and writing skills by using the VCOP Program. This Program ensures the students pay more attention to their writing expression along with their punctuation, while widening their reading skills, they will look for vivacious vocabulary and use them in their writing. The students are excited to extend their knowledge about Australian History and can’t wait for their excursion to Sovereign Hill in March to learn about the Gold Rush in Ballarat.

The Grade 6 SEEP students have already had an extremely busy start to their year. Their classroom has been buzzing with so much learning happening each and every day.

For literacy, they have made a quick start to their literature circle group work and are working towards perfecting the roles of the summariser, connector, discussion leader and word wizard. Each week, they are being exposed to different types of figurative language such as Hyperbole, onomatopoeia and personification. They are also learning how to write historical narratives and working on improving their writing through the VCOP Program.

All our SEEP students will be engaged in a variety of practical mathematical problem-solving activities with iMaths investigations and online maths with Mangahigh, providing a platform to engage every student in the fun and importance of mathematics that drive greater engagement and understanding for our students. They are also using their knowledge of problem solving skills to assist them with their imaths investigations.

For humanities, they are looking deeper into Australian history and the Australian Federation. Students will learn about the way of life of people who migrated to Australia and their contributions to Australia’s economic and social development. For science, they are focusing on seeing the growth and survival of living things and the role of independent, dependent and controlled variables in performing experimental investigations.

Learning opportunities outside the school are important for our students and can further assist students’ learning through in-depth questions. Parents can take their child to places of interest, such as zoos, science centres, museums, theatres and galleries that can provide opportunities to build on their child’s interests.

S H A B A N A C H O W D H U R YSEEP Coordinator Primary


A r a b i c , Q u r a n & R e l i g i o n D e p t P r i m a r y

A warm welcome is extended to everyone, new and old at ATC. We pray to Allah (swt) that 2018 will be a successful and enjoyable academic year, inshaAllah.

Alhamdulilah we have been blessed with a wonderful start. Teachers and students have begun work with eagerness. Thank you to all our parents who were prepared with the Arabic/Religion text and work books from Week 1. For parents who have not ordered the books yet, we urge you all to do so as soon as possible in order for the students to learn and work effectively.

Below is a brief summary of the class structure.

QuranThe students have one period of Quran and one period of Iqra per week. During these lessons, our students focus on reading with tajweed, Quran memorisation and the meaning of key words and moral of the surah covered.

Morning Quran SurahsEvery day, our primary students listen and recite a different surah for the term along with doa/supplications. Students wanting to learn these surahs were invited to enrol for the Morning Quran Program via the consent form. As well as attending morning classes, students also have a special assembly every Friday where they win prizes and take part in exciting Islamic activities.

Students who memorise the term surah will be tested in week eight and may win certificates and prizes during their year level assembly.

Advanced Quran ClassThe Department continues offering Advanced Quran Classes for the students who are two years ahead in memorisation to that of their year level peers. Students must also be confident in reading and reciting Quran.

The students usually attend those classes once or twice a week. Most of the Advanced Quran students have the opportunity to take part in the school Annual Quran Competition.

Hifz and Dawah classesDawah classes are conducted twice a week by Sis Nadwa. The students are taught how to deliver khutbas and speeches. The dawah students are required to lead Friday khutbas for the primary students and take part of future school events.

Hifz classes are run by Sis Nadia three times a week before school and on Saturdays from 10:30am–1:30pm.Students are selected to attend the Hifz classes based on their attitude, behaviour, memorisation and tajweed skills.

ReligionThe Religion Program aims to introduce students to the essentials of their faith and light up some cultural aspects of Islam. Throughout the year, our students learn about the stories of the great Prophets, life of Sahabah and Islamic history.

ArabicAll students attend two periods of Arabic language per week. The Arabic curriculum is based on the Victorian Curriculum. Students learn the language through a variety of engaging activities that cover the core areas; listening, speaking, reading and writing.

HomeworkHomework has been distributed to all primary students through their diaries. Please ensure that your child completes all the required homework on time.

We appreciate your cooperation and assistance and we look forward to a flourishing and successful year.

A M A L A S S A F I R IHead of Arabic and Islamic Department


G r a d e 3 & 4 N e w s

Assalamu alaikum

Welcome to 2018 and all our existing and new families who have joined us this year. Hopefully everyone had a good break over Summer. Alhamdullilah, we have had a wonderful start to the year and the students have settled into their new classes extremely well.

The year started off with an induction week where all teachers established routines and made connections with their students in class. This what some students had to say in Grade 3.

On the first day of school we did an awesome job in English and Maths with our teacher Raymond!”Abdullah Akif from 3 H

On the first day of Grade 3, I was nervous, scared and happy at the same time. Through the weeks I am getting used to my teachers and friends. I love my new year in grade 3. Soha Hasan from 3 F

Jamie Oliver Fruit and Vegetable Program is here in Australia! Grade 4 has been chosen to pilot the exciting hands on Food Education Program here in Australia.

This incursion for the grade 4 students gave them the privilege to learn how to grow fruit and vegetables and also some fun facts on healthy eating. Various classes made healthy dishes including capsicum salsa, Greek salad, fruit platters, tomato and basil bread and more! Thank you very much to Nazia Suliman, our Student Services Coordinator for organising this yummy and fun event!

Thank you to all parents who have been so helpful by ensuring that the children have everything they need to start the year and a happy attitude to school. It is these little things that make the children so confident and relaxed for the first few days. We look forward to partnering with parents this year. InshaAllah.

N O O R U N N I S A A B D U L

W A H I DHead of Student & Teachers Services Grade 3 & 4

I love the fact that I get to play with Grade 4 and higher grade children, I am so lucky! ... Al-Taqwa is the best school in the world!”Marwan from 3B


M i d d l e S c h o o l N e w s

The Grade 5, 6 and 7’s have made a great start to the year and are busily settling into our school routines. We would like to welcome our new teachers to the Department - Amina Balagic 6E, Chloe Bajada 5A, Christian Foster 5C and Richard Ling 5H.

This term we are in the process of selecting our new school SRC representatives, Captains and Vice Captains. Our SRC candidates presented some very convincing speeches that you can watch on our website.

This term our Grade 5’s are out to dig for gold at the ever-so popular Sovereign Hill in Ballarat where they will experience the Gold Rush era as well as deepen their knowledge of Australian History.

Our Grade 6 Project Enrichment Projects started with many exciting hands on classes- textiles, home economics, horticulture/woodwork, media, debating, Indonesian and the Who I am girls program.

Also, our Year 7’s participated in a fun filled sports day. On this day, students tested their skills and competed with each other in a variety of events.

This year, students will continue to participate in weekly year level morning assemblies. This is a chance for teachers to give out awards, golden stars, make important announcements and reminders, and for students to share class work. It is also a time to reinforce the School and Islamic values through hadeeths and quranic versus.

Morning assembly and prayers in mosque will be on Tuesdays for Grade 6s and Wednesdays for Grade 5s.We look forward to working together to ensure students have a happy and productive learning year.

J A N E P R I T C H A R DHead of Student & Teachers Services Grade 5 to Year 7


S e c o n d a r y N e w s

Assalamualaikum dear parents/guardians and carers

Welcome to the 2018 school year at ATC. We are very excited and welcoming all the positive changes this year. Our world today is a place which is moving forward with technology and change, and it can be quite daunting. However, to ensure that your child is not disadvantaged when learning and taking part in understanding the school curriculum, it is important your child has a fully functioning school laptop. Whether your child is starting in Year 7, completing the VCAL course or in Year 12, they must all have their fully charged laptop as part of their daily equipment brought to class. Please help your child be responsible for their laptop. We are urging parents to ensure that your child has all the requirements to be ready for class by now, for example textbooks, laptop, stationery and exercise books for each subject area.

In Secondary this year, we have gone back to a six period timetable. There have been delays with class lists for some subject areas, with a few students affected. We have managed to ensure students are placed fairly in their given class. If you have any concerns they can be discussed with Year Level Coordinators.

Year 7: Jane PritchardYear 8: Khaled ZpeidiYear 9: Shareena KhanYear 10: Abdulaziz Al NofaeiYear 11: Raghda GabrYear 12: Yarra BakriYear 10-12 VCAL/VET: Stefanos Chrisoulis

This year we are operating the previous years boys secondary area as a Junior campus, which has all Years 7-9 segregated classes and the Senior campus (previously the girls camps) which has Yrs 10-12 VCE and VCAL/VET classes included.

We are finding this set up has worked more favourably this year. We are working towards ensuring the students are well supported and prepared for progressing to the next year level by ensuring we operate the Transition Program, supporting students who require it and a SEEP Program for our higher achieving students.

If you wish to discuss these Programs to develop a better understanding of how they operate or requirements for entry please contact the appropriate team member listed below.SEEP Program Coordinator: Serif SerifovskiTransition Program Coordinator: Nuzrath Abdulrahman

Our most recent event has been our annual Sports Day on Wednesday 21 February.We had the boys event take place at the Newport Athletics Track and the girls event which took place at the Victoria University Athletics Track. Both events were very successful. Below are some images from both events. We look forward to continually providing the best we can as an Islamic School catering for all our community needs.

Kindest regards

B E H I J E C U R AHead of Secondary


Wednesday 14 & T hur sday 15 Mar ch

All Al-Taqwa Students will be expected to have their school photos taken over the two day period. The importance of having their photo taken is to update our recording system and ensure that all students may be easily identified in the event of an emergency.

Parents/guardians also have the opportunity to purchase photo packages. Envelopes will be sent out early next week for parents/guardians with packages starting at $25.

Our photographic company is Arthur Reed Photos and they would prefer families to purchase their packages online at www.arphotos.com.au The school code is 1803AC718 which must be used when ordering.

Envelopes will be handed out to all students with this code on the front cover.

DON’T FORGET TO PLACE YOUR ORDER BEFORE THE PHOTO DAYS SO YOU DON’T INCUR A LATE FEE

www.arphotos.com.au148-154 Marshalltown Rd, Grovedale

Tel: 5243 4390


Why it’s important

We all want our students to get a great education, and the building blocks for a great education begin with students coming to school each and every day.

Students develop good habits by going to school every day – habits that are necessary to succeed after school, whether in the workplace or in further study.

Missing school can have a big impact on students academically and socially. It can affect their test results, including VCE, and, just as importantly, it can affect their relationships with other students, and lead to social isolation.

There is no safe number of days for missing school – each day a student misses puts them behind, and can affect their educational outcomes.

Each missed day is associated with progressively lower achievement in numeracy, writing and reading.

Getting in early It’s never too late to improve attendance – going to school more often can lead to better outcomes. Even at Year 9, when

attendance rates are lowest, going to school more often can make a big difference. Every day counts. Schools are there to help – if you’re having attendance issues with your child, speak to your school about ways to address those issues.

What we can do The main reasons for absence are:

Sickness – There are always times when students need to miss school, such as when they’re ill. It’s vital that they’re only away on the days they are genuinely sick, and setting good sleep patterns, eating well and exercising regularly can make a big difference.

“Day off” – Think twice before letting your child have a “day off” as they could fall behind their classmates – every day counts.

Truancy – When students choose not to go to school without their parent’s permission. There can be many reasons for truancy, the best way to address this is for schools and parents to work together.

While all absences are bad for academic performance, unexcused absences are a much stronger indicator of lower reading and maths achievement.

If for any reason your child must miss school, there are things you can do with your school to ensure they don’t fall behind:

• Speak with your classroom teacher and find out what work your child needs to do to keep up.

• Develop an absence learning plan with your teacher and ensure your child completes the plan.

Remember, every day counts. If your child must miss school, speak with your classroom teacher as early as possible.

Openly communicating with your child's school about all absences is a good way to prevent attendance issues being escalated to a School Attendance Officer. A School Attendance Officer is a Department of Education and Early Childhood Development Regional Director who has authority to follow up attendance issues. Attendance issues that are escalated can lead to an Infringement Notice.

If you’re having attendance issues with your child, please let your year level coordinator, principal or other relevant staff member know so you can work together to get your child to school every day.

For more information and resources to help address attendance issues, visit: www.education.vic.gov.au/school/parents/behaviour/Pages/studentattendance.aspx

EVERYDAY COUNTSSecondary school attendance

Department of Education and Training

Going to school every day is the single most important part of a child’s education. Students learn new things at school every day – missing school puts them behind.

In Years 7-10, students miss

on average almost a weekevery term – that’s

four weeks

of school per year.



College RegistrarJenny Dunstan

Parent Liaison Of ficerMichelle Dimech

Enrolment Off icers Enas Ali

Ibtissam Shahino

Transport CoordinatorSameh Aghbash

Accounts ReceivableMalak El-Ashey

Fadile Jeka

Accounts PayableEmmy Eribsyantie

A D M I N I S T R A T I O N P E R S O N N E L

The Islamic Schools of Victoria (Werribee College) Trading as Al-Taqwa College ABN 32 079 146 958

20 18 COLLEGE ENROLMENTSWe are still taking enrolments for 2018, however places are limited. If you know someone wishing to enrol at ATC for 2018, please contact the Administration Office on 9269 5000 immediately for further

information.

Enrolments Forms and the Business Notice are both available on the College website.

VCE & CAREERS EXPOThursday 3 and Friday 4 May - 9am to 3pm

Saturday 5 & Sunday 6 May - 10am to 4pm.

Caulfield Racecourse, Station Street, Caulfield. Free parking in designated areas

The VCE and Careers Expo is Australia’s biggest careers and education event with 170 exhibitors providing VCE, tertiary course, career, study skills and gap year information and resources. Exhibitors include Australia’s major universities. The Expo also features 175 seminars on VCE subjects including English and Maths, tertiary courses, career and study advice. Admission is $10 or $25 for families of three or more (children 14 and under free) and is valid for all four days of the Expo. Admission includes all seminars. For more details visit vceandcareers.com.au

Documents

Message from the Principalal-taqwa.vic.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/newsletter-95...ISSUE 95 FEBRUARY AL-HIDAYAH 3 Dear Parents, Students & Friends ASSALAMU ALAIKUM STUDENT LUNCHES