Rangitoto College’s preference is for parents/guardians to use the PCSchool App or PCSchool Parent Portal to explain student absences. The PCSchool App has been updated for ease of use to ensure parents can retrospectively justify absences as well as current or future absences. If parents do have issues using the PCSchool App or PCSchool Parent Portal, we can still receive a parent/guardian signed, written note either prior to, or after an absence which must include the student’s name, student ID number, date of absence and reason for absence.

When using the PCSchool App or PCSchool Parent Portal, it is essential for you to keep login information private. Please do not share the login details with your child as this may compromise the integrity of the absence system. We would also ask you to monitor your child’s attendance on a regular basis via the PCSchool App or PCSchool Parent Portal. Should you have a query regarding your child’s attendance please contact their year level Dean.

Instructions on the PCSchool Parent Portal and PCSchool App absence notification, along with retrieving username/password for PCSchool can be found in the downloadable documents.

You will note from the attendance process sheet attached, the key details are as follows:

Accounting for Absences

• Students should check their attendance on their PCSchool Attendance record in Tutor Period.  Students should identify if they have outstanding unexplained absences from the previous week

• Accounting for unexplained absences is a student and parent responsibility

• A no-reply email is sent to the parent/caregiver of any student who has an unexplained absence not accounted for in the previous week

• The student is responsible for ensuring all unexplained absences in a given week are accounted for by the Friday of the following week.

• Students will be followed up by the Deans if unaccounted absences have not been cleared after a week

Arriving late

• The student goes straight to class if they either arrive late or come back to school having signed out earlier.  The student myst have their parent/caregiver account for any lateness with a legitimate reason

Leaving early

• Students must sign out at the Attendance Office using Gatekeeper to scan their card.  The student must provide a note to the Attendance Office from their parent/caregiver or have their parent advise of early departure via the PCSchool Parent Portal or App.  The student will receive a printed pass.

Unwell during the day

• The student must report to the Health Centre.  The student will receive a printed pass if the Health Centre has arranged with the parent for the student to go home.

We do hope this process will support the learning of all students at Rangitoto College. It is our belief that attendance is one of the key elements to success for any student. With your partnership as a parent/guardian we can track regular attendance, respond to unexplained absences and work with students to achieve to their potential.