Fitzroy Primary School Newsletter

Principal`s Message

Welcome back to everyone and I hope that you enjoyed the break with your family and friends. It was great to have the time to recharge to relax, and unwind.

 

Capital Works

Over the holidays, a lot was happening at school. The capital works projects continued throughout, utilising the time that students were off-site. We have finally gone out to tender for our Napier Street redevelopment. Tenders close on the 16th May, and we will then go through the process of choosing our construction company. Once this process is complete, we will have a better indication of the timeline.

 

School Review

We are currently in the middle of our school review, Our school reviewer has spent the last  2 weeks observing classes, speaking with staff, parents and students. We have our final day next Tuesday. Once complete we will receive a review report which includes an executive summary that can be shared with the school community.  It provides a summary of the key findings and directions for the next School Strategic Plan (SSP). The body of the review report provides more detailed information for the school’s planning purposes. 

 

School Sport

We are thrilled to congratulate our students on their outstanding performance at the interschool sports competition today! Our teams showcased their skills in both soccer and T-ball, demonstrating not only their athletic abilities but also exemplary sporting behaviour. 

 

A special commendation goes to all the players for representing our school with such distinction. Your dedication, teamwork, and positive attitude have made us incredibly proud.

 

I would also like to extend my gratitude and a big thank you to Jennifer for her exceptional efforts in coordinating these events. Your efforts have been instrumental in the success.

 

We look forward to hearing more about our progress over the next four weeks of competition. Keep up the fantastic work, everyone!

 

Attendance - Every Day Counts

Why it’s important 

We all want our students to get a great education, and the building blocks for a great education begin with students coming to school each and every day. If students miss school regularly, they miss out on learning the fundamental skills that will set them up for success in the later years of school.

There is no safe number of days for missing school – each day a student misses puts them behind, and can affect their educational outcomes. Each missed day is associated with progressively lower achievement in numeracy, writing and reading.

 

Getting in early

Attendance patterns are established early – a child regularly missing days in kindergarten or in the early years of school will often continue to miss classes in the later years, and receive lower test scores than their classmates.  It’s vital that students go to school every day – even in the early years of primary school. 

 

Student Absences

The main reasons for absence are:

Sickness – There are always times when students need to miss school, such as when they’re ill. It’s vital that they’re only away on the days they are genuinely sick, and developing good sleep patterns, eating well and exercising regularly can make a big difference.

Family holidays - It's vital that holidays are planned during school holidays where possible, and not during the term. If you are planning to go on holiday during term time, make sure that you talk to your child’s school in advance.

“Day off” – Think twice before letting your child have a “day off” as they could fall behind their classmates – every day counts. 

Truancy – This is when students choose not to go to school without their parent’s permission. There can be many reasons for truancy. The best way to address this is for schools and parents to work together.

School refusal - School refusing children will experience significant emotional distress not only when going to school but also at the thought of going to school; they may be absent from school for weeks or even months at a time. School refusal differs from truancy as children generally stay home with the knowledge of the parents and despite their best efforts to encourage their child to go to school. See: My child or teenager has anxiety

 

Being away from school for one day a fortnight equals missing 1.5 years over 13 years of school

 

If your child is away

If for any reason your child must miss school, there are things you can do with your school to ensure they don’t fall behind:

Inform the school

  • Speak with your child’s classroom teacher and find out what work they need to do to keep up.
  • Develop an absence learning plan with your teacher and ensure your child completes the plan.

Remember, every day counts. If your child must miss school, speak with your classroom teacher as early as possible.

 

Openly communicating with the school about all absences is a good way to prevent attendance issues being escalated to a School Attendance Officer. A School Attendance Officer is a Department of Education and Training Regional Director who has authority to follow up attendance issues. Chronic or ongoing attendance issues that are escalated can lead to an Infringement Notice being issued to parent/s. 

 

If you’re having attendance issues with your child, please let your classroom teacher know so we can work together to get your child to school every day.

 

Top attendance tips for parents

  • Schools want to work in partnership with parents – act early if you have any concerns by contacting your child’s school and asking for advice and support
  • Remember that every day counts
  • There is no safe number of days for missing school – each day a student misses puts them behind, and can affect their educational outcomes and their social connectedness
  • Talk positively about school and the importance of attending every day
  • Open and prompt communication with your child’s school about all absences is a good idea 
  • Avoid making routine medical and dental appointments during the school day or planning family holidays during the term
  • Seek help from your school if you are concerned about your child’s attendance and wellbeing. Schools want to work in partnership with parents to support student attendance and wellbeing.

Further information 

For more information and resources to help address attendance issues, visit:

https://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/studentmanagement/attendance/Pages/improve-attendance.aspx

 

Scott Burton, Principal