Principal Reflections
Dear Parents and Carers,
P & F 2025
On Tuesday night we hosted our Annual General Meeting for our Parents & Friends Committee. At our meeting a special thanks was made to the P & F committee for 2024. During the 2024 school year, the committee led many wonderful initiatives and did a tremendous job in overseeing various significant events for our school. Your hard work and dedication has resulted in many smiles from students.
I would like to congratulate the following parents on their successful nomination in the various executive roles for 2025:
President: Lauren Propsting
Vice President: Rachel Etheridge
Treasurer: Mel Vine
Secretary: Steph McCaffery and Natasha Gippel
Thank you again in advance for all projects that you will oversee in the 2025 academic year.
Calm Classroom and Productive Learning
When visiting our classrooms, I have been super impressed with how the children have returned to school and commenced learning. In my interactions I have noticed how well the students are articulating their understanding of a task and what they have learned. Please see some great snapshots below:
‘Missing School is Missing Out!’
We recognise that regular attendance plays a crucial role in our students’ academic success and overall well-being. This page aims to highlight the significance of attendance and the impact that missing school can have on children’s education. Our goal is for children to achieve excellent attendance and to be in school before 8.45am every single day.
Why Attendance Matters
Regular school attendance is essential for students to fully engage in their learning and make academic progress. Here are some key reasons why attendance matters:
Academic Success: Attending school regularly allows students to benefit from consistent instruction, participate in classroom discussions, and complete assignments on time. This contributes to better academic performance and helps students achieve their educational goals.
Building Relationships: School attendance provides opportunities for students to build meaningful relationships with their peers and teachers. These connections enhance the learning experience and contribute to a positive school environment.
Developing Essential Skills: Consistent attendance helps students develop important life skills such as time management, responsibility, and resilience. These skills are crucial for success both in school and in future endeavours.
Preventing Learning Gaps: Missing school, even for short periods, can lead to gaps in learning that may be difficult to overcome. Regular attendance ensures that students receive continuous instruction and stay on track with their learning objectives.
For children to make the most of their education and reach their full potential, regular school attendance is crucial. Being absent or late to school means a lost learning opportunity for your child.
The Impact of Missing School
While the importance of good attendance is clear, it’s also essential to understand the negative consequences of missing school:
Academic Challenges: Students who are frequently absent often struggle to keep up with their classmates academically. They may miss important lessons, fall behind in their learning, and experience difficulty mastering essential concepts.
Decreased Engagement: Chronic absenteeism can lead to disengagement from school and a lack of motivation to participate in learning activities. This can result in decreased academic performance and lower levels of achievement.
Social and Emotional Impact: Missing school can also have social and emotional consequences for students. They may feel isolated from their peers, experience increased stress or anxiety about falling behind, and miss out on valuable opportunities for personal growth and development.
Long-Term Outcomes: Research has shown that students who are chronically absent are more likely to have lower graduation rates, decreased earning potential, and higher rates of involvement in negative behaviours such as substance abuse.
At St Ed's we are committed to promoting good attendance and providing support to ensure that all students can attend school regularly. We encourage all families to join us in prioritising attendance and recognising its importance in shaping the future success of our students. Our goal is literate and numerate students for a HOPE filled future!
Living Well, Learning Well Framework
The Living Well, Learning Well framework supports us as in the way we work with students and families to increase learning, wellbeing and life-opportunity outcomes. We are reminding our students consistently of our three 'Rules for Living and Learning' which define the behaviour expectations we have for ourselves and others at St Edward's School. As safe, respectful learners we strive to be the best versions of ourselves ensuring that self-discipline and respect for ourselves and others is our first priority. We do this in a positive and consistent manner as all students have the right to learn in a safe and happy environment.
Peace & Best Wishes
Keep smiling,
Alison Hatton
(Principal)