Penrith Selective High School

Altiora Peto - Striving for the highest

Telephone02 4721 0529

Emailpenrith-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au

From the department

Student short film competition

Male student holding a camera and looking into it.

Make Every Day Count is a film competition open to all students from Kindergarten to Year 12. Entries close 28 May, 2021.

Make Every Day Count

The NSW Department of Education is holding a state-wide film competition for all students from Kindergarten to Year 12.

Schools can participate in the festival as a class entry or submit films created by individual students or groups of students. Schools can submit multiple films.

All films submitted must have the approval of the school principal.

The theme is "make every day count". Schools and students should explore all the possible reasons why attendance is important and what reasons may cause poor attendance.

Why school attendance?

The overall picture of school attendance in Australia is generally good. Year 1-10 students attend, on average, 92% of ‘available school days’ in Australia.

However, there are areas of concerns, where 25% of Australian school students attend less than 90% of school days. This adds up to 20 or more days absent in a school year.

At this rate, after 13 years of school, it’s equates to more than 260 school days lost or more than 5 terms.

According to the report Attendance matters (PDF), absenteeism can increase social isolation, including alienation and lack of engagement with the school community and peers, leading to emotional and behavioural difficulties.

Schools and students are encouraged to create films that address the issue of attendance in schools and how this can impact the student - socially, academically and personally.

Competition details

Entries close 5pm on 28 May 2021.

All films should be

Budding filmmakers and teachers should read the Information booklet (PDF). Students and their parents and carers will need to sign the consent form enclosed.

The film competition is organised by Film By, established by teachers to recognise and showcase the stories and creativity of students told through digital film media.