Entering an Attendance Note for Your Child
When your child is absent, you are required to enter their absence on Compass. Please find attached a useful guide on how to enter an attendance note on Compass.
Entering an Attendance Note for Your Child
It is important that you use the right explanation for why your child is absent. We would like all parents/carers to note that the attendance explanation code ‘Sorry Business’ is for Koorie community absences only. Please do not use this code for any other absence. If you have any questions relating to your child’s absence, please contact our Attendance Officer – Amanda Pigdon.
Uniform reminder
The East Doncaster Secondary College Student Dress Code aims to foster a sense of community and belonging and encourages students to develop pride in their appearance, support East Doncaster Secondary College’s commitment to ensuring that our students feel equal and are dressed safely and appropriately for school activities. Our dress code also aims to reduce student competition on the basis of clothing and enhance the profile and identity of the school and its students within the wider community.
Recently, there has been a notable increase in items being worn to school that are not in line with the EDSC Student Dress Code. These items include branded and plain black tracksuit pants (mostly Elite Eleven), runners (mostly black Nike Air Force 1 and Nike Low Recraft Grade), branded socks (mostly white Nike), hoodies and large and oversized hoop earrings. Please see the visual attached to this newsletter for examples of these non-uniform items.
With the cooler months approaching, please be reminded of our uniform expectations particularly regarding layering for warmth. Students are not permitted to wear any of the listed items above to school or during school events.
Please note that whilst the pants/shorts/skirt are not required to have the EDSC logo, the expectation is that the STYLE, COLOUR and MATERIAL are a close match to those sold at PSW, our official unform supplier. If families have any questions about this, they should contact Year Level Coordinators for advice prior to purchasing.
If tracksuit pants without the College logo are worn as part of the PE Uniform, they must not contain any visible branding. Only plain navy-blue tracksuit pants are acceptable. Black flare pants and leggings are not permitted to be worn at school.
Students are welcome to wear additional layers underneath their uniforms. These layers must be plain white, with no logos, and covered by the school shirt, jumper or jacket. These additional layers should not replace any official school uniform items. If students choose to remove an outer layer, any non-school items must also be removed and kept out of sight.
Other clothing accessories, religious or otherwise, should be plain black or navy, including scarves, hats and beanies. These items can be worn to and from school when it is particularly cold although are not to be worn indoors. Hair colours should be natural.
Additionally, PE uniform should only be worn on days when Middle School students have a PE or Sport class. Wearing the PE uniform on non-PE days does not align with our uniform guidelines. For Senior School students, PE uniform is only to be worn on designated PE practical days, not every day students have PE. Colder weather in the winter terms does not permit students to wear the PE uniform as an alternative to the formal school uniform.
We kindly ask that families take the opportunity over the school holidays to review their student’s uniform items to ensure they have the correct school uniform. Please prepare adequately for the cooler months ahead and if necessary, purchase winter uniform items accordingly. Middle School students have been reminded of this expectation during their Term 1 Values Assemblies and during classroom visits by their Year Level Coordinators, where consequences for being out of uniform next term and for the remainder of the year were reiterated. Students should expect to be issued a lunch time detention if they are not in the correct school uniform. Senior School students have been reminded through Year Level Coordinator communication and classroom teacher conversations and reminders. We ask that parents and carers support students in being in correct school uniform. Should families require support with uniform items, please reach out the Year Level Coordinators.
College Uniform
For Term 2 and Term 3 only, please refer to the Winter Uniform requirements.
The expectation is for students to wear the dress and shorts only in Term 1 and 4 and the Winter skirts are for Winter Term 2 and 3.
Shorts and Pants must be tailored and Navy.
Student Attendance / Absence Reminder
The school must be informed of ALL absences, whether it be illness, appointments, holidays or any other reason. You can do this via the following options.
- The easiest way, is to login to Compass with your Parent Login and add submit an ‘Attendance Note’ for the time of absence
- Calling the Absence Line BEFORE 8:30am on the day of the absence. Phone: 9842 2244 (dial option 1)
- Sending a note with the student for early departures. Teachers will not allow students out of class without a note or an approval on Compass
- Fill in a ‘Student Absence Notification’ form for any extended length of absence including holidays, overseas travel etc. (The College must have any extended leave submitted in writing)
If you have any attendance concerns or questions regarding an SMS message you have received, please call the College absence line and leave a message with your child’s details and we will follow up your enquiry. Please do not reply to the SMS as this service is not available.
Please remind your child/ren that they must sign out at the Senior School (Years 10,11,12) Compass Kiosk machines if they arrive late to school or have to leave early.
Unwell
Please remind your child/ren not to contact you directly during the day to let you know they are unwell. Instead, if they are feeling unwell, they need to ask the teacher to visit our Sickbay and our First Aid Officer will contact you accordingly. If you need to pick them up this will be organised via Sickbay.
Extended Absences
Please remember to fill in and return a ‘Student Absence Notification Form’ (Please see below) for any extended absences over 3 days. Please ask your child to drop a copy into Reception or you can email this form to our school email address east.doncaster.sc@education.vic.gov.au
VCE students
Please remember to provide Medical Certificates for VCE students for any medical absences. This is to help maintain their VCE Attendance requirements for all students who are in Year 11 and Year 12 and students that are in Year 10 and completing a Year 11 or 12 subject. Please forward certificates to our school email address east.doncaster.sc@education.vic.gov.au
Student Absence Notification Form.
Mandi Pigdon
Attendance Officer
Student Lunches
Just a reminder to parents that we are unable to deliver lunches to students during school time. It is the student’s responsibility to come and collect their lunch if it has been dropped off at Reception. Hot food is not suitable to be left at Reception.
PLEASE NOTE: Take-away food is not allowed at the College during school hours. Under no circumstances are students to be ordering take-away food to be delivered to the College.
Student Compass ID/Library/PTV Cards
Please remind all students that they must carry their Student Compass ID/Library/PTV Cards with them at all times.
ALL students must sign in and out with their card at The John Landy Centre (Senior School Building) when they are arriving late or leaving early for any reason.
The cards are also used for any student photocopying that is done at school. The EDSC Student Compass ID/Library card can be used as ID for student PTV (Public Transport Victoria) travel. They are required to carry this card as student identification while travelling on public transport.
If a student loses their card, parents/guardians are able to re-order a replacement card via the Compass parent portal.