Leadership Report

ARRIVAL TIMES

We have recently noticed an increase in students arriving at school significantly earlier than our supervised start time, with some students onsite from as early as 8:00am.

The safety of all students is a priority at Orchard Park Primary School, and it is important to note that yard supervision does not begin until 8:30am each morning. Students who arrive prior to this time are not supervised, which presents a safety concern.

We ask families to please ensure that students who are not supervised by a parent or carer arrive as close to 8:30am as possible. For families requiring earlier drop-off due to work or other commitments, our Before School Care program remains a safe and supported option.

We do understand that some students benefit from arriving a little earlier to have time to move, play, and settle into the day. Where students are supervised by a parent or carer, this is absolutely fine and we appreciate your support in helping them start the day positively.

Thank you for your support in ensuring all students are safe and well cared for before the school day begins.

EVERY DAY COUNTS - STRENGTHENING OUR ATTENDANCE TOGETHER

At Orchard Park Primary School, we remain strongly committed to improving attendance outcomes for all students. We know that consistent school attendance is one of the most important factors in supporting learning, wellbeing, and a strong sense of belonging.

As part of our ongoing focus, we are placing particular emphasis on reducing and eliminating unexplained absences. Ensuring that all absences are explained is not only a requirement, but also helps us to better understand and support each child’s circumstances.

Earlier this week, all families with current unexplained absences received a personalised note outlining the specific dates requiring clarification. We ask that you please take a few moments to address these as soon as possible by either:

• Returning the paper copy with reasons for the absences, or
• Updating the absence details directly through the Compass app

Promptly resolving these ensures our records are accurate and allows us to provide appropriate support where needed.

We appreciate that families are balancing many responsibilities, and we thank you for your continued support and partnership in this important work. By working together, we can ensure every student is at school, engaged, and ready to learn each day.

END OF TERM REMINDER

A reminder to all families that the final day of Term is Thursday 2nd April, with an early finish at 2:00pm.

Our final assembly will take place in the gym, beginning at 1:15pm, and all students will be dismissed directly from the gym at the conclusion of the assembly.

PARENT INFORMATION SESSIONS COMING UP

We are looking forward to hosting our upcoming Parent Information Sessions and warmly encourage all families to take part. These sessions are a key part of our ongoing commitment to building strong, authentic partnerships between school and home, recognising that student success is greatest when we work together.

Each session will provide valuable insight into how we teach across Literacy, Numeracy and Wellbeing, and just as importantly, how your children learn. This is a great opportunity for families to deepen their understanding of classroom approaches, ask questions, and feel even more connected to their child’s learning journey at Orchard Park Primary School.

In response to family feedback, all sessions will run prior to Assembly, beginning at 1:30pm, making them more accessible within the school day. Again, we certainly appreciate that no time is going to suit all families and we are trialling this time slot for 2026 to see how it goes. 

We will also be offering Parent Helper Information Sessions immediately beforehand (1:15–1:30pm). These short sessions provide an opportunity for any family members wishing to support within the school, through excursions, incursions or classroom help, to complete their induction requirements.

Further details, including dates and session focuses, are available via Compass. We look forward to seeing many of our families there.

EASTER RAFFLE UPDATE

What a fantastic response from our school community to support this year’s OPPS Easter Raffle! Our recent Free Dress Day was a huge success, with an overwhelming number of Easter donations coming in. These contributions will help our wonderful Parents and Friends group create some incredible hampers for the raffle. Thank you to all families for your generosity.

We have also been thrilled with the number of raffle tickets already returned. Your support is greatly appreciated and adds to the excitement of this much-loved event. Families are reminded that raffle tickets will continue to be accepted right up until Thursday morning next week.

We look forward to welcoming many of our families to our final assembly for the term, beginning at 1:15pm, where the Easter hampers will be drawn.

Thank you once again to everyone for your support of this special fundraising event, with 50% of the funds raised going to the Good Friday Appeal.