Student Attendance: Unexplained

As we establish rhythms into 2023 we are eager to ensure we do everything to maximise the learning and wellbeing of all students, everyday, here at Rosanna Primary. While we had significant absences due to COVID in 2022, we are carefully analysing and reflecting on our current attendance data and using it to support students’ daily attendance.

Currently, one fourth of all our absences this year at Rosanna Primary remain unexplained. We continue to be eager to ensure student absences are clearly communicated between school and home.

The safety and well-being of children through the reporting and monitoring of absenteeism is the responsibility of both parents/carers and schools. Parents/carers have an obligation to notify the school of their child’s absence and schools are required to notify parents/carers on the day of an unexplained student absence. This responsibility needs to be underpinned by shared understandings and expectations about the procedures for the promotion, monitoring and follow-up of student attendance as outlined in the school’s Attendance Policy (shortly to be on our website). If you would like to help shape this document or suggest changes, please let me know.

Please remember to call the school on

9457 2592 or email us at

rosanna.ps@education.vic.gov.au or log your child’s absence using our Compass App, early in the morning if your child is going to be away or late for school, so your child’s absence can be recorded correctly. We encourage you to add information to your notes to help support the correct coding of absences.

As we seek to have every child at school learning everyday, we will be encouraging parents to enter absence notes for every unexplained absence of their child each fortnight. While this procedure has usually been completed on a termly basis, we hope that a simple reminder daily (as is currently the practice via SMS) along with a fortnightly reminder, will minimise our large number of unexplained absences currently outstanding in our data.

Your support at ensuring our attendance data is accurate will enable us to continue to identify ways to support families and students in their daily attendance. Thanks.

COVID Attendance

After the discussion around attendance above, it is important to note our ongoing attention to COVID-19. It is important that any student who is showing symptoms of COVID-19 remain at home. Parents of students who are symptomatic will be asked to collect their child from school and to keep them home until they are no longer symptomatic.

If your child tests positive:

Parents/carers should complete the Student COVID-19 COVID Test Portal if their child tests positive to COVID-19 (via a PCR or rapid antigen test).
Students who report a positive result are recommended to isolate for a minimum of 5 days and not attend school until their symptoms have resolved.

If you phone the office we are more than happy to log the information on the COVID Test Portal on your behalf.

Working Bee: Superheros Required

Saturday 4 March 9-12noon

Next week, we will have delivered 15m3 of softfall and 5m3 of sand to replenish both sandpits and softfall at the base of our playgrounds. We’re inviting all superhero parents to join us for an hour or the whole morning.

While our blowing team spruced up our yard prior to the school term, we were hoping a wheelbarrow brigade might support us to spread our sand and mulch. It would be great to have some people to prune, as well as clear up some leaves in preparation for the FORPS picnic the following week.

Come along for an hour or two or the whole morning. All are welcome and will enjoy a sausage in bread for lunch. Please sign in at the staffroom when you arrive.

Parental Focus Groups Next Week

A special thanks for all those parents who have booked their place for ‘Morning Tea with the Principal’. Next week, I will be meeting with a range of parents to discuss the school review and reflect on the emerging redefinition of school values that have been discussed with students.

There is still an opportunity for you to participate in these 9am discussions. Register your place on the morning that parents from your child’s learning area are gathering.

Prep Parent Morning Tea

Monday 6 March 2023 at 9:00am

Booking Link

1/2 Parent Morning Tea

Tuesday 7 March 2023 at 9:00am

Booking Link

3/4 Parent Morning Tea

Wednesday 8 March at 9:00am

Booking Link

5/6 Parent Morning Tea

Thursday 9 March at 9:00am

Booking Link

NAPLAN 2023

Students in year three and year five will participate in NAPLAN, starting from Wednesday 15 March. These national assessments have been moved earlier into the year to provide teachers and parents, with early information on each students capabilities. All the assessments, except for writing, will be completed online.

Over the coming few weeks, students may experience some anxiety or worry concerning their performance. NAPLAN will continue to be one of many different assessment tools that are used to support student learning. Students will be encouraged to view the experience positively and as an opportunity to improve learning outcomes. Over the coming weeks teachers will be offering students a range of experiences online and off-line that will familiarise and reassure them with the assessment environment and format.

If you have concerns over your child’s participation in NAPLAN, please speak with me, I am always happy to give you further details or answer any questions you might have.

Learning in the Younger Years: Numeracy

Next Tuesday evening at 7:00pm, there will be lots of activity in our Chandler Hall as parents from Prep and our local Kinders gather and explore strategies and language that can help reinforce students understanding of numeracy at home.

This workshop will be followed up with a workshop on literacy, scheduled for Wednesday 8 March.

Please consider yourself invited, and if you wish to attend complete the registration process below.

Numeracy in the Younger Years

Wednesday 1 March at 7:00pm

Booking Link

Literacy in the Younger Years

Wednesday 8 March at 7:00pm

Booking Link

Swimmers

We wish all those participating in the District Swimming Carnival a wonderful and fun day on Monday!!

Students & Learning

Classroom Learning With 12R