Relieving Deputy Principal's Report

Dear Parents and Carers,

It has been a busy and productive fortnight at Oak Flats Public School with continuation of the LAD program, our debaters led by Mrs Hudson and Mrs Blazic making it to the second round of competition and many sporting events. The highlight being Reconciliation Week, led by our amazing Aboriginal Committee.

Attendance

A day away from school here or there doesn’t seem like much, but absences add up. Why is attendance important?

· Attending school every day gives your child the best opportunity and access to a wide range of learning, wellbeing and social connections.

· Each day of school builds on what was learned the day before.

· We’re here to support you in getting your child ready and motivated for school every day.  

· When your child is absent it is important you let us know, including the reason why, on the day or the day before. This helps make sure we know where our students are and offer support for you and your family if needed.

Please contact us if your child needs to miss school for any reason, so we can plan continued support for your child’s learning and wellbeing.

Did you know? If your child misses as little as 1 day per week, they will miss 40 days of school and 8 weeks of learning in 1 year. Over an entire school journey, this adds up to 2.5 years of lost learning.

Check-in Assessments

Years 3-6 students will be participating in Department of Education Check-in Assessments over the next fortnight and later in Terms 3 and 4. These assessments are online and students will complete this in their class groups. These are ongoing assessments for each year. The Check-in assessments are designed to provide teachers with formative assessments that can give an indication of how students are performing and what to plan for future learning tasks. The Check-in assessment includes a reading, writing and a numeracy assessment.

Each assessment consists of 40-50 multiple choice questions with approximately 50 minutes. Assessment windows for 2023:

Term 2 (Weeks 4 to 7) • Years 4, 6, and 8 complete reading and numeracy assessments

Term 3 (Weeks 8 to 10) • Year 6 complete reading, numeracy and writing assessments

Term 4 (Weeks 1 to 4) • Years 3, 4, and 5 complete reading and numeracy assessments.

National Simultaneous Storytime

We celebrated National Simultaneous Storytime on Wednesday where the whole school came together to enjoy the joy of reading as we joined thousands of other schools and libraries across the country in simultaneously reading 'The Speedy Sloth'. It was a magical experience that emphasised the importance of literacy and storytelling in our lives. We would like to thanks Mrs Dean for organising this event.

Car Safety

Unfortunately, our school does not have a drive-in bus bay and with limited parking, it can become very congested in the mornings and afternoons. Below are some tips to help keep your children and others safe during drop-off and pick-up times during the school week:

• Stick to the 40km/h speed limit in a school zone and look out for children who may be about

• Always park and turn legally around schools. Maneuvres such as U-turns and three-point turns are dangerous during busy school drop-off and pick-up times

• Drop your children off and pick them up on the school side of the road in your school’s designated drop-off and pick-up area. Never call out to them from across the road - they may run to you without checking for traffic

• It’s safest for children to get out of the car through the Safety Door, away from passing traffic. This is the rear footpath side door of the car.

Have a great fortnight ahead!

Mrs Wigny