Principals' Message 

Hello Parents and Friends,

We have had a wonderful fortnight at Templestowe Park PS.  Our annual Athletics Carnival took place last week and it was an exceptional event.  We were lucky enough to have the best weather we have ever had for the event and this made the running of the day so seamless.  Our Grade Prep – 6 students experienced a wide variety of track, field and novelty events.  All students performed exceptionally well and I congratulate our Grade 3-6 students who have qualified to represent Templestowe Park at the upcoming District Athletics Carnival.  It has been a carnival of sport recently with our Girls Football, Girls Netball, Downball and Hoop Time teams all competing.  Congratulations to all of these students and we wish the teams that will be moving on to the next rounds the very best.  See photos in Learning at TPPS.

Additionally, our Grade 5 students attended a Huddle STEM excursion where they experienced how STEM is involved in the AFL.  At the excursion, the students unpacked the inquiry question “What does it take to win?” by thinking creatively and working collaboratively to achieve STEM challenges, such as building a pendulum to kick a ball and engineering a catapult to mark and throw. In addition to STEM concepts, our Grade 5 students explored concepts such as artificial and emotional intelligence, grit and mindset, as well as identified their own characteristics that will support them ‘to win’ throughout life.

Carrying on our rich STEM learning, selected students from Grade 5 have been attending the Sir John Monash Science School (JMSS) to participate in the Little Scientists and Mini Mathematicians programs.  These rich programs allow our students to participate in high level problem solving activities and explore science through experiments and content ranging from biology to nano-technology.  Last week, our teachers spent time judging the 2024 Maths Association of Victoria Maths Talent Quest (MTQ).  As you are aware, Templestowe Park has been named as an Outstanding School in this competition over the last two years and had multiple state champions over the last four years.  Once again, our Prep, Grade 1, 3 and 5 students participated in the MTQ this year.  They all created outstanding mathematical investigations and we were so proud of their efforts.  The results for the 2024 competition will be announced shortly. 

Finally, we also wanted to mention the outstanding work that our Prep students have been doing in the classroom.  In Prep – Grade 2 this year, we have implemented a science of learning approach to teaching literacy and the outcomes have been truly spectacular. We are so excited to receive visits to our offices from our Preps showing their amazing writing.  We have been truly blown away by their work. 

We would like to congratulate our hardworking students and staff for their sensational work throughout Term 3.  The rich learning experiences within and outside of the school in all areas has been so pleasing to see. 

Have a fantastic weekend! 

Book Week – Reading is Magic! 

We had an amazing time celebrating Book Week this week.  Our students read and undertook activities around the short-listed books throughout the week.  This culminated in our Book Week parade this morning.  Our families and students did a wonderful job in dressing up as their favourite book character.

Please see the photos below from our parade. 

Student Absences – Serious concerns

As seen in our fortnightly ‘Attendance News’ and in the ‘Principals’ Message’ in our fortnightly newsletter, Templestowe Park PS has very high absenteeism rates.  In 2023, 16% of students missed over 30 days of school and 20% were absent between 20 – 30 days.  This means that 36% or 220 students were chronically absent in 2023. This is much higher than our Network and Similar schools.  The Department of Education has identified Templestowe Park as a school of concern and directed us to take action in this area. 

As a school, we have developed an action plan to improve attendance.  This has included employing the School Focused Youth Services organisation to assist families to improve their child’s attendance. To be frank, many of our families do not need social workers to assist them.  A number of families are taking extended family holidays throughout the year.  While this is fine for one year, this becomes a serious concern if it is an annual event. When combining annual holidays during school times and regular absenteeism, you can see how a child can easily become chronically absent. 

Extended Family Holidays - Approval Required  

Within the Victorian Attendance Legislation, families are required to discuss with the Principal well in advance of finalising any holiday plans.  The principal has the discretion to decide whether or not to approve the absence taking into account the student’s educational interests.

This means that parents must notify Mark Roberts of upcoming holiday plans if they occur during the school term.  Approval will be decided upon educational factors, and attendance during the current and past school years. 

While this may feel draconian to some people, we must take action to improve student attendance at Templestowe Park.  We have clear data that indicates students that are chronically absent are performing poorly in the classroom. 

Thank you in advance for your support in this most important area.  We look forward to sharing our improvements in this space in the coming months and year.

Late Arrival to school 

At Templestowe Park, we unfortunately see a  high number of students arriving late to school for no apparent reason.  Late arrival can be just as damaging for student success as being absent.  At the start of the school day, teachers undertake explicit instruction of new concepts in literacy.  Missing this explicit teaching time is catastrophic for students and we have unfortunately seen very capable students perform poorly due to chronic lateness. This is so heartbreaking to see.  To be frank again, we have many students that are distressed when they arrive late and it is not their fault.  The vast majority of the time the parent is running late.  We know how busy it can be in the morning, as we are all getting our own children to school each day.  However, arrival to school on time is crucial for our students and it needs to occur. 

The Principal team are on yard duty from 8:30am everyday and all students enter the classroom at 8:50am.  We encourage students to arrive at 8:30am so they can play with the friends and be energised and ready for the school day. Arrival by 8:50am is essential for a smooth start to the school day. 

Please see the article below outlining the importance of arriving to school on time. 

We all run late sometimes.  For your child, arriving late to school occasionally won't cause major disruption.  Inevitably, children will feel sick or tired some mornings, or other situations will prevent them from being on time.  But chronic lateness eventually takes its toll on a child's overall educational experience.  According to the national initiative Attendance Works, missing just 10 percent of the school year in the early grades causes many students to struggle in primary school, and lateness in later grades is associated with increased failure and dropout rates. Fortunately, parents can help prevent tardiness from becoming frequent enough to negatively impact their child's school life.

Disrupted Routines

One of the most important aspects of school is that it is organised, scheduled and predictable. Students depend on the structure of the day. They know where they have to be and when. They know the main purpose for being in school is to learn and that routines are in place precisely to help them focus on that learning. When students are repeatedly tardy, these routines are disrupted. Children who are often late have trouble settling in and mastering routines. Tardiness can throw off their whole morning or even their day, especially if the late commute to school was stressful. All children have a right to learn at school and it is unreasonable to disrupt the focus and attention of the rest of the class that late arrivals cause.

Social Criticism

The social experience has a powerful impact on a child's feelings about school and his or her ability to be academically successful. When a child continuously shows up late to class, other students are distracted. Attention is drawn away from the teacher or assignment and toward the child who has just arrived. Over time, classmates may begin to criticise this child, affecting how they feel about themselves in school. Children are especially conscious of fitting in and being accepted by peers. If your child is repeatedly tardy, they may become a target or outcast over time, and negative peer interactions can hurt their ability to concentrate on learning. According to the Encyclopedia of Children's Health, children with steady friendships throughout the school year enjoy school more, and children who can make new friends tend to perform better academically.

Low Achievement

Perform Well, a nonprofit policy research and educational organisation, reports that frequent tardiness is associated with lower grades and lower scores on standardised tests. It is also linked to low graduation rates. In addition, students who are routinely late at the primary school level are more likely to fail in secondary school -- or even drop out. In many classrooms, particularly at the primary level, morning routines are critical to daily lessons. 

Responsibility

Part of your child's education is learning to be responsible. The school experience teaches children how to meet expectations. They learn to follow schedules, obey rules, complete assignments and keep track of their materials. Learning responsibility in school is a precursor to functioning in the working world, as noted by William Kirby in his 2010 article "School Attendance Tied to Academic Success”.

Attendance is one of the ways children show they can meet their obligations. In many cases, a child's attendance depends on their parents' ability to help them be on time. Parents can teach their children organisational techniques that will help them get out of the house faster, such as packing their bags and laying out their clothes the night before school. But parents who drive their children must also remember to be punctual and responsible. After all, you are the primary role model.

Parents / Caregivers / Guardians Opinion Survey

As published on Compass this week, the Parent / Caregiver / Guardian Opinion Survey is now open.  This annual survey is offered by the Department of Education and is conducted amongst a group of parents at each school.  We have decided to invite all parents to participate as we feel a broader response base would provide a more authentic representation of parent opinion. 

All TPPS parents can access the survey via Compass. Please read the directions carefully and ensure that only one parent, caregiver or guardian complete the survey. We thank you in advance for taking the time to help us improve our school. 

Principals’ Award

At today's assembly we were so pleased to present the Principals' Award to Blake R from 5P.  Blake shows how kindness, hard work and dedication at school, lead to great rewards. With a conscientious and organised approach to learning, Blake exemplifies how hard work can help reach your goals. He always strives for excellence, showing sportsmanship and optimism every day. His friendly nature and teamwork skills make him a standout among his peers. Blake is a shining example of all our school values, making him truly deserving of the Principal’s Award. Congratulations Blake! 

Mark Roberts                       Brian Cleary                                        Robyn Twyford 

PRINCIPAL                           ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL                  ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL