Assistant Principal's Report

Welcome to Term Three! 

We are now in our 2nd week of Term Three and we have already seen some amazing things happening at DPS. Well done to all students who participated in the Dance Curriculum Workshop last Thursday and a huge CONGRATULATIONS to our Level Six representatives Minoo and Adam who competed in the Rotary Public Speaking Competition on Wednesday night. They competed against many other students from local schools and really did DPS proud. Well done Adam and Minoo! 

COVID update

In recent days there have been some updates to the department guidelines in regards to the safety measures and precautions required for Primary School aged children. These have been relayed to families via Compass. However, the main changes or adjustments are:

• It is strongly recommended by the Department of Health that face masks are worn in indoor settings, with face masks mandatory for those aged 8 and over who are household contacts and attending school. This is because the wearing of masks is effective in reducing the transmission of COVID-19.
• It is the Department’s expectation that, through to the end of winter, students aged 8 and over and all staff will wear masks when in class, noting that exceptions to the recommendation apply to teaching circumstances when clear communication or when a particular activity requires the removal of a mask.
• This expectation should not constrain student participation in the full range of school activities, including music, sport and performances.
• Schools are not required or expected to sanction students or staff who do not meet this expectation, but are asked to communicate this expectation to the whole school community and seek their support for this collective effort.

Parent Helpers

We are so fortunate to have many parents and grandparents who are helping in our classrooms each week. if you wish to become a classroom helper, please call the school office for more information. 

Unopened Reports

Last term, each student was provided an individual progress report via Compass. This report gives parents an indication of how their child is performing at school across a range of curriculum areas.  Comments from teachers were included and some reports even indicated areas for improvement. It is disappointing that our current records show that over 100 reports still remain unopened. If you are experiencing difficulty navigating compass or accessing the report, please call the school office on 9848 1122 and we will assist you. 

Road Safety 

We have had some alarming situations in regards to car parking at the start of Term Three, with many concerned parents contacting the office. This is a reminder to make sure you are following road rules in and around the school and always conducting yourself in a safe way. Please do not drop your child off in the teachers car park on Hummel Way, as this is an out of bounds area, unsafe for children. The School Captains have been talking to the DPS students about road safety and how to behave in car parks throughout our online assemblies. This will continue, as we believe it's really important to educate the students and make them aware of safe/ unsafe practises.   

Beanies

This week we are selling DPS beanies and it is the perfect time of the year to treat yourself, buy a beanie and keep warm all at once.  They are $20 and can be purchased via Compass. We are looking forward to distributing these to classrooms just in time for the cold spell we seem to be experiencing. These are not just for the kids! We have had many interested adults enquiring about the beanies too. If you'd like to purchase one for yourself, your cousin, or a grandparent, please visit the office and pay by either cash or card. Look at our captains, aren't they great!  

Student Attendance

Attendance Matters - ACARA website

Most Australian students attend school regularly, with 75% of Year 1-10 students attending at least 90% of school days in 2018. However, a closer look at this data indicates something concerning. If 75% of students attend at least 90% of the time then the reverse suggests that 25% (1 in 4) Australian students were absent for more than 10% of school time, or 20 or more days. These students are missing at least a month of school over the schooling year.

At DPS, our figures for Semester One in 2022 indicate that 27 students have attended school 100% of the time. What a huge achievement! These students have really made the most of the learning opportunities provided. 54% of our student population have attended school between 90-99% of the time. 29% of DPS students record 80%-89% attendance and 7% of our students have recorded 70%-79% attendance. There are 14 students among us that recorded less than 70% attendance throughout Semester One. We are working hard at DPS to increase our student's attendance through engagement and a wide range of interventions, some of which will be shared in the coming weeks. Attendance figures are something we will be monitoring each term and sharing with our school community.   

“Every day counts and there is no ‘safe’ threshold for absences” – Hancock et al., 2013

Excitement in Term Three

We have lots of exciting events and celebrations coming up this term. It is important that you check Compass regularly so that you can be up to date and aware of these. We will also celebrate these events with you via the School Newsletter.