Relieving Deputy Principal's Report

Congratulations to all our wonderful staff and students!

Our students and teachers have been so very busy this term with many sporting events, Premier’s Spelling Bee, Reconciliation Week, The LaD program for K-2, full school Athletics Carnival, Cross Country, Stage 3 Camp to Canberra, Multicultural Public Speaking, The Dance Festival for Year 2, rehearsals for Southern Stars, Choir and after School Discos. All the while students and staff have been hard at work in classrooms, the Digital Technology Lab, the Library and learning hubs completing class work, ILSP programs and Enrichment groups. It is very safe to say that we have ALL earned a holiday!

A huge thanks to all the staff who give up their own time so all these activities can happen. Despite popular belief, most of these activities are extra that staff volunteer to do because they love working with and supporting children to grow through different opportunities. This also includes camps and overnight excursions. Our students and the community are very lucky to have such wonderful staff here at Oak Flats Public School.

Attendance

We greatly appreciate the effort that parents and carers have gone to to ensure that absences are explained promptly. We are also pleased to report that despite the recent flu season, our whole school attendance is tracking well.

Did you know that the Department of Education classifies students with less than 90% attendance as being at educational risk? It is incredibly important that students attend school each day they are well and able.

Students should be at school every day during school terms, including until the end of term, unless they are sick and/or absent for a justified reason. Missing a day here or there may not seem like much, but absences add up and can negatively impact your child's learning and wellbeing. When your child misses one day a week, that’s 40 days of school and 8 weeks of learning in one year. Over an entire school journey this adds up to 2.5 years of lost learning.

Holiday Safety

As we head into the holiday break here are a few very important reminders to reinforce with our children when they are out and about.

· they always tell you/an adult when and where they are going

· if feeling unsafe, tell someone and move to somewhere safer

· avoid playing near driveways and carparks as drivers may not see them

· check their bike's brakes, bell, reflectors and tyres are all working before going for a ride

· correctly wear a helmet when riding any device

· remove their headphones when near traffic so they can hear approaching vehicles

· stop, look, listen, think before they cross the road, and not just follow their friends

· wear bright clothing so drivers can see them, especially when it's twilight.

Have a wonderful and safe holiday everyone! 

Mrs Wigny