Parent Engagement
Parent/carer engagement in their child’s education is known to lead to improved outcomes for students of all ages. It is the hope of St Joseph’s College that we can support parent engagement by building partnerships with parents/carers to connect learning at home and school and to promote student wellbeing.
The general view is that parent/carer involvement usually focusses on school-based activities such as attending events or volunteering; however, parent/carer engagement encompasses children’s learning at home, at school and in the community, recognises the importance of positive relationships, support for a broad range of school goals and activities, the cultural and social diversity of families and communities and importantly for St Joseph’s as a Catholic community, support for the spiritual life of the student.
Effective relationships between parents/carers and College personnel focus on student needs and are hopefully motivated by a common and shared purpose. They recognise that parents/carers and College staff offer different knowledge, expertise and resources to a child’s education.
The Catholic Schools Office has developed a School Community Code of Conduct for Parent/Carers and volunteers in Catholic school communities.
Communication
Absences
On occasion, your child may need to be absent from school. Justified reasons for student absences may include:
- Being sick, or having an infectious disease
- Having an unavoidable medical appointment
- Being required to attend a recognised religious holiday
- Exceptional or urgent family circumstance (e.g. attending a funeral).
In the case of an absence from school parents should notify the school early in the morning to advise them of the absence. This can be done by calling the College office, or an email to the student services dedicated email.
studentservices@lochinvarsj.catholic.edu.au
Following an absence from school, if notification as described above has not been given, you must ensure that within seven days you provide St Joseph’s College with a verbal or written explanation for the absence. If the school has not received an explanation from you within two days, the school may contact you to discuss the absence.
Contacting the College
College Administration
P: (02) 4930 7291
E: admin@lochinvarsj.catholic.edu.au
Find us on Facebook @StJosephsCollegeLochinvar
Student Services
Compass
The Compass app enables parents to engage closely with our school to see how their child is performing and feeling, book their next teacher meeting, pay fees and more.
To access the St Joseph’s College Compass portal, click here.
Please note: It is recommended that you first log into Compass through a computer as you will be prompted to update your contact details and create a password. These instructions are created using an Apple iPhone, but the interface is the same for other smartphones.
