Hazel Glen College Primary Years

Assistant Principals' Report

Everyday Counts! The Importance of School Attendance

At Hazel Glen College we place a strong emphasis on consistent school attendance, as it is the foundation for academic and social-emotional success. Attending school every day provides students with valuable opportunities for learning, personal growth and meaningful connections with peers and teachers. 

 

Why Attendance Matters:

  • Regular attendance helps students develop essential skills, build friendships, and stay engaged with their learning.
  • Missing just one day of school can result in lost learning time, making it harder to catch up on assigned tasks.
  • Over time, missing just one day a fortnight adds up to 1.5 years of lost learning throughout a child’s education.

It is important to establish strong attendance patterns early that support long-term success. Students who attend school regularly are more likely to achieve their academic goals, develop resilience and build positive lifelong habits. 

 

At Hazel Glen College, we are committed to ensuring that every student receives a high-quality education and that begins with attending school each and every day. Together we can help students stay on track, thrive and reach their full potential. 

Supporting Your Child's Attendance

While some absences are unavoidable, such as when a child is unwell, it’s important to ensure that children only miss school when absolutely necessary. To help with attendance:

✅ Avoid scheduling family holidays or appointments during school hours

✅ Talk positively about school and encourage daily attendance

✅ Reach out to your child’s teacher if you have any concerns about school refusal or anxiety

 

If your child must be absent, let their classroom teacher know as soon as possible and/or update Compass with appropriate attendance note. 

Cyber Safety

Tuesday the 11th of February marked Safer Internet Day and a great opportunity to reinforce the importance of responsible and safe technology use. iPads are an essential tool for learning in the Primary Years at Hazel Glen College, supporting student engagement and enhancing educational experiences. As part of our Start-Up Program, classes reviewed Classroom and School iPad Expectations to ensure students understand how to use their devices safely and appropriately.

 

Additionally, iPad storage equipment has been implemented to ensure iPads are only being used for learning and at the direction of the teacher. Teachers are also teaching routines around ensuring notifications and any messaging apps are turned off to help students stay focused and make the most of their learning. This can be supported at home by encouraging students to turn these features off before school.

 

In the coming newsletters, we will be sharing eSafety Commission parent videos with valuable tips on how to support your child in staying safe online. Together, we can ensure iPads continue to be a powerful tool in the learning process and that our students are safe online, both at home and at school.

Random Acts Of Kindness Day

Random Acts of Kindness Day was celebrated this week on Monday the 17th of February, providing a wonderful opportunity to focus on the power of kindness in our school community. To celebrate, McGrath House ran a food drive in partnership with Love Thy Neighbour, supporting those in need. All information regarding this initiative will be posted to Compass next week.

 

Kindness plays a vital role in creating a positive and inclusive school environment, and we encourage students to embrace small acts of generosity, empathy, and compassion every day. Parents can also take this opportunity to discuss ideas for Random Acts of Kindness that their children can perform—not only on the week of Monday the 17th but throughout the year—to help build a culture of kindness at school and beyond.

Bike Safety Reminder

We encourage all students who ride their bikes or scooters to and from school to prioritise safety at all times. Wearing a helmet is essential and helps protect against serious injury. It is also important that students are aware of road crossing safety, ensuring they use designated crossings, follow traffic signals, and check carefully before crossing roads.

 

As students leave the school, they should also be mindful of busy footpaths and ride carefully to ensure the safety of pedestrians. As a reminder, bikes and scooters should be stored in the bike shed, and for the safety of our school community, students must walk their bikes or scooters from the gate to the shed. Thank you for supporting safe and responsible riding practices.

NAPLAN 2025

NAPLAN testing will run from Wednesday 12th of March until Monday 24th of March. During the NAPLAN testing period, students will complete the following four online tests. 

  • Writing (Year 3 writing will be a paper test)
  • Reading
  • Conventions of Language 
  • Numeracy 

Students may be withdrawn from NAPLAN by their parents or guardians.  This is a matter for consideration in consultation with your child’s classroom teacher.  Please speak to them before Friday 28th of February if you have any concerns about your child’s participation. 

 

Catch up tests will be provided for students who are absent on testing days.  If you know your child will be away during the NAPLAN testing period, please email your child's classroom teacher with the dates they will be absent so that we can timetable catch up tests. 

 

Students must have a set of headphones to sit the Conventions of Language test. Please ensure students are bringing their headphones to school each day so that they can use them during practise tests.

Classroom Helpers

We are currently reviewing our classroom helpers training in light of introducing the Learners Love Literacy program in our Prep - Year 2 classes this year.  We are keen to have parents and carers help in our classroom and will let you know more details about this soon.