Notification of Absences

By OBHS | Posted: Friday May 2, 2025

As the Winter chills settle in, so does the season for colds and flus.

There are several ways for parents to advise that their son is not attending school.

1. Enter the absence into the OBHS portal. This is our preferred method.
2. Ring and leave an absence on our phone line 03 477 5527.
3. Email [email protected]

If a student is absent because he is sick, or for family reasons, parents must contact the office before 8:30am or the Attendance Office will contact home if an absence is not confirmed.

We follow CDC guidelines for all illnesses. For flu-type illnesses and fevers, students need to be 24 hours clear of their last fever or signs of fever. For diarrhoea/vomiting-type illnesses, students need to be 48 hours clear of their last episode.

Where prolonged or recurring absences are planned, please advise the office well in advance by calling or emailing [email protected] or 03477 5527.

Holidays During the Term:

All planned leave during term time must be put in writing well in advance to the Rector. Your son’s Dean, teachers and the Attendance Officer also need to be informed. Holidays during term time are unjustified absences.

The Ministry of Education states ‘While holidays may provide valuable learning experiences, they can cause gaps in students' understanding that are not easily detected.’ In the senior years, there is emerging evidence of substantial impact of absences on students' NCEA results.

Please plan your family experiences in term time with consideration to this.