From the Assistant Principal

Student Attendance and Absences

This newsletter, I would like to feature the importance of consistent and regular school attendance, as well as parental responsibility for notifying the school of any student absences. Parents/Carers can help us ensure any absences are recorded accurately to improve our attendance data, as well as to ensure that we are providing any supports to families that may need to be put in place.

Since 2018, all Victorian government schools are required to contact parents/carers as soon as practicable on the same day of any unexplained student absence. This system also promotes daily school attendance. Going to school every day is the single most important part of your child’s education, as they learn new things every day and missing school puts them behind.

It is a legal requirement that teachers mark their rolls twice a day. At 9am each day teachers take the roll. If a student is absent and the parent/carer has not notified the school to explain why, class teachers will mark their rolls as an unexplained absence which will then generate an automatic Compass message to parents/carers after 9:30. 

Notifying the school of your child’s absence either prior to, or on the day that they will be away, helps ensure the safety and wellbeing of children and will fulfil your legal responsibility. 

Explanations can be provided for any unexplained absence after the absence date to ensure that the accurate reason for absence is recorded. 

If your child/ren are late to school, they must sign in at the Compass Kiosk at the Office.

As well as recording absences, it is important that the reason for absence is recorded accurately. This year we are really trying to minimise the use of Parent Choice. This reason should only be used if it does not fit into another more satisfactory explanation such as Medical/Illness, Bereavement, Family Holiday…. Parent Choice School Approved means it has Principal Approval. It is designed for special or unforeseen circumstances.

Parent Choice Unauthorised is when the school would not consider the reason for the student being away as a reasonable excuse.

On Compass recording absences accurately is important to:

• ensure the safety and wellbeing of all students by monitoring their attendance.
• assist in identifying and resolving barriers, and access, to education when a student is absent often and if the student needs additional support to attend school.
• assist schools in meeting their duty of care to minimise the risk of reasonably foreseeable harm to a student.

If you would like a Guide on How to Enter an Absence Note on Compass please contact the office or myself.

Getting to Know You Parent-Teacher Meetings 2024

This afternoon I will be opening up bookings on Compass for Getting to Know You Parent-Teacher Meetings. These meeting will be held onsite next week from Monday 19th February through to Friday 23rd for all students in Years 1-6. Foundation Meetings will be held in Week 6 after Early Years Testing has been completed. 

These meetings are really invaluable in forming partnerships with your child’s class teacher and to pass on any information that you feel is important teachers should know about your child/ren. There is an extended evening for working parents on Tuesday 20th February, as well as other times before, during and after the school day. 

Bron

Assistant Principal

bronwyn.orr@education.vic.gov.au

House Keeping

Consent/Permission Forms

We have numerous consent forms such as the Digital Image permission form, Local Excursions permisison form that families are asked to respond too in Compass that are still yet to be completed.  Can you please ensure these are attended too ASAP. If you need help logging into Compass or need your password reset, please contact Susan at the office at susan.close@education.vic.gov.au

Medication at School

A reminder to families that if you child needs medication administered at school, you must fill in a Medication Permission Form.  This needs to be submitted along with the Medication.  The Medication Permission Form is attached.

Lunch Orders

AJ’s Bakery (our current supplier) and Oakleigh Primary School use an online lunch ordering system using the online payment system Qkr! Families are encouraged to download the Qkr! app and register.

Please take careful note when placing an order that you have entered the correct date... this is the most common error families make when placing lunch orders.

Ensure you Checkout then Submit Payment and wait for the Payment Confirmed message, then View Receipt to check your order – you can see your order history in the Activity section.

As part of this system, you are able to place orders up to a month in advance and add credit on your account as well as pay as you order. 

Orders can also be cancelled or changed, as long as it is done before 9am of the day of your order. 

If you need to cancel or place an order after 9am that day, please contact AJ Bakery direct on 0466 661 662 or email ajbakery243@yahoo.com

Instructions on How to Order are attached.