Assistant Principals' Report
Hello everyone and welcome to our newsletter article,
Education Sub-committee
OurEducation Sub-committee of School Council has overseen the review of many of our school policies this year. We are currently reviewing our Student Engagement and Wellbeing Policy which can be found in the link below. As it has been a few years since the review of this policy we know there will be some changes. Students, staff and families all play apart in the consultation and review of this policy. The department of education through our Policy and Advisory library provide us with templates for which some information in the policy cannot be adjusted, it is expected that through ministerial orders and the like must include certain information.
If you wish to be involved in the review of this policy, you are welcome to attend our next Education meeting on Wednesday 26th November at 10.45-11.30am in the AP office. Alternatively, if you have any thoughts, questions or considerations for the committee please email or touch base with Monique or Helen when you see us around the school.
The current student engagement and wellbeing policy can be found through the foloowing link:
https://www.heidelbergps.vic.edu.au/uploads/335/71/Student_Wellbeing_and_Engagement_policy.pdf
Attendance @ HPS
At Heidelberg Primary School, we prioritise regular school attendance. We will work with families to ensure students are in class with their peers and teachers and enjoying all the benefits that brings.
Attending school every day means experiencing what counts – the learning, friendship, fun and opportunities that can shape your child’s future.
We understand that there are times when your child will need to miss school but to ensure minimal disruption to their education, please consider scheduling family holidays or medical/dental appointments outside of school time. If your child is well enough to attend but is worried about friendships, schoolwork, please encourage them to come to school. Avoiding school can make these feelings worse and can create a negative pattern of behaviour.
If your child is having difficulty attending school, talk to their teacher or about getting support.
Please note extended family holidays of a week or more require approval by the principal.
We know that parents and carers can be juggling challenges daily to get your children to school. If your child must miss school, notify us as soon as possible via your child’s Compass dashboard.
Our staff member Sue Zerna does an excellent job of monitoring our roll taking and attendance data and coding on Compass. This helps families and staff to ensure we are correctly coding absences but also noticing any patterns in the data for follow up.
Our current school attendance policy can be found through the following link: https://www.heidelbergps.vic.edu.au/uploads/174/10/Attendance-Policy.pdf
For more information about the importance of everyday attendance, see Attendance and Missing School.
Have a great weekend.
Helen Thomas & Monique Rankin
Assistant Principals
Heidelberg Primary School