A note from Mr Jackson
We have completed our first week of 2025! A special thanks to all who have helped engage with the school to ensure that the start has occurred so smoothly.
Attendance: There is no safe threshold to missing school
Researchers know how many days of absence kids could 'get away with' before it started to affect how they were doing at school....none!
They determined this using a combination of school enrolment figures, attendance records and NAPLAN results provided by the Education Department. They studied patterns of over 415,000 primary and high school students over a five-year time frame. In all analyses, average academic achievement on NAPLAN tests declined with any absence from school and continued to decline as absence rates increased.
Every day of absence made a difference, and this was particularly true for unauthorised absences. The effect of one day of absence was relatively small but added up quickly as more and more days were missed. The effect of missing days accumulated over time, so that school absence not only impacted achievement in the year in which the days were missed but in future years as well.
Positive Values Pieced Together
We are always seeking to celebrate student achievement and reward the excellent behaviour of Rosanna Primary students. While we look forward to sharing in greater detail our School Wide Positive Strategies in future newsletters, we encourage you to drop by the office and see a puzzle that is taking shape.
Each student who is able to collect a card of 10 stamps acknowledging their values, receives a puzzle piece! It was a surprise when 20 students lined up on Wednesday to receive the very first pieces to make the puzzle. What a great way to start the year!
First Assembly
Friday 7 February
Our first formal assembly is scheduled for 2:45pm on Friday. Parents and carers are welcome to join us.
Anaphylaxis Reminder
At this time of year we are shaping routines and rhythms that will continue for the rest of the year. We are always alert to the possible introduction of allergen materials that may put the health of students at risk. Parents are aware of our ‘no food sharing’ practices at school. Teachers are particularly vigilant as they supervise lunch eating in the yard. You may have received alerts already, from the school regarding minimising and potential threat of exposure for students within your child’s class or learning area.
Please speak with your child’s classroom teacher if you have any questions. I have attached our Anaphylaxis Policy for parents to read.
Meet the Teacher Interviews and Surveys (Yrs1-6)
Tuesday 11 February
This is an important opportunity for teachers and parents to introduce themselves. It is not a report on student progress, but rather an opportunity to discuss possible concerns or questions related to the transitioning of each child into 2025. Thanks to all those who have booked a time for ‘Meet the Teacher’. Parents who do not make a booking will be provided with one on Monday.
Creating A Safe Space for Pedestrian and Road Users
We are always focused on ensuring we do everything we can to support the safety of students and all who use our site. Our narrow roads can prove a challenge, particularly in the afternoons and so here are some reminders about some of the ways we can care for one another.
Please consider …
Parking in a neighbouring street and walking a block back to the car at the end of the day. It is a great opportunity to talk about the day and reflect on the learning of the day.
ensuring the traffic flows smoothly along Grandview Ave by not attempting u-turns and following parking restrictions. The indented drop off and pickup zone is a two minute zone where carers must stay with their car. After that time, the car must move from the area and complete a cycle of the block before returning to the site. At no point should parents block access to the school. Teachers will prepare students, who are waiting for a drive by pickup, by sitting them at the base of the flags on timber edging..
Please consider our local residents and respect the need for them to enter and leave their driveways. Always ensure cars are parked in allocated parking areas and not over driveways. This is particularly relevant along Davies Street and Grandview Grove.
Consent Forms
At this end of the year we are gathering parent/carer consents regarding a range of programs. These include:
2025 Local Excursions which enables classes and students to visit the local sites with individual consents not having to be completed. Often learning springs from the connections with our local community. Such visits may include a visit to explore Salty Creek at the Rosanna Parklands or conversations with business owners in Rosanna. Parents will always be informed of the timing and location of the excursion. Consent can be provided on Qkr!
Publishing Consent provides for the publication of work and images around school and in the newsletter. This is a chance for parents to have a say on how we balance the important privacy issues in a digital world and the desire to celebrate student achievement and engagement. Consent can be provided on Qkr!
ICT and Digital Technology User Agreements is a form that is differentiated for students in Prep through to Year 2 and students in Year 3 to Year 6. It has been sent home as a hardcopy so as to invite conversation and discussion in your family around cyber safety strategies and concerns. We urge you to take the time and ensure that your child has a good understanding of what to do when things go wrong online!
Seesaw Consent provides consent for student learning to be hosted by Seesaw. This is a chance for learning to be shared, received and celebrated quickly with parents. Consent can be provided on Qkr!
While we have provided copies of these documents in a digital format, please speak with the office if you would like to receive a hard copy of any or all of these documents.
Further information coming home includes ..
We will shortly distribute consent forms for those parents/carers who wish to participate in Christian or Islamic religious education.
The consent to check for head lice provides staff permission for a quick check of hair in case it is needed
Enrolment in After School Programs
At the end of each day, we are always alert to ensure students safely transition to home. Students and parents have a range of strategies to support the afternoon departure. A reminder that if students are booked into after school programs and plan not to attend, the booking is cancelled with the extra curricular organiser.
On a number of occasions, our Emergency Management Plan has been enacted because students have not arrived at an activity. After investigation, parents have picked up students directly from school without the knowledge of the convenor of the activity. Please let us know if such changes take place. Thanks.
Student Leadership Ceremony & Morning Tea
Friday 21 February
We wanted to make sure that you had this special date in your diary. It is an opportunity for our senior students and those elected to class sustainability roles and Junior School Counsellors in the first semester to receive their badges in a leadership ceremony. Our state representative Anthony Carbines will be present to provide each student with their leadership badge. Families of those students participating in the ceremony will be invited or morning tea hosted by FORPS.
Please Label, Label, Label Everything!
Plastic containers, lids of containers, drink bottles, spoons, hats, bags, pencils, and anything else they might bring, even underwear! We are always eager to reunite lost property with their owners. It is frustrating when all we do is end up with clothing or items that do not have a name. Your support in this process is greatly appreciated.
A lost property cupboard is kept in the admin block and unlabeled clothes and objects are relocated here.
Students who bring special items to school are often saddened when these items go missing. It may be a stuffed toy, heroic figurine or even a precious memento. I encourage students to reconsider bringing such ‘valuable’ items to school or if they do, to ensure such items are looked after thoughtfully.