Attendance is the key

Brendan collects a trophy for seven years of perfect school attendance. 176185_01 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

There’s some serious sticking power with students at Mossgiel Park Primary School.
One student Brendan hasn’t missed a day of school for seven years, another has gone six years without a sickie.
In all, 39 students were given certificates, trophies or medals for making it through at least one year with 100 per cent attendance.
A proud Brendan made it a “personal goal” not to miss a day after seeing older students collect trophies in years gone by, says assistant principal Lyn Pentland.
The benefits are clear to Brendan.
It means he’s learnt more than anyone else, he always knows what’s happening at school, he always sees his friends and gets to know his teachers better.
Ms Pentland said regular attendance was one of the most important things for academic success, strong relationships, self-esteem and belonging to the school.
It also teaches the highly-valued ethics of responsibility, commitment and dedication.
“Regular school attendance is a partnership between the school and the parents,” Ms Pentland said.
“So, I would also like to thank the parents of these children for their commitment in supporting and believing in regular school attendance.”