Principal's Report

Mr Jim Hill

Dear Parents and Carers,

Welcome to Term four. I hope this message finds you well as we step into what promises to be another exciting Term at DPS. We are looking forward to a successful and eventful term, packed with various activities and opportunities for our students to engage in.

Among the highlights planned for this term are the Great Victorian Bike Ride for our Grade 6 students, Graduation, Dance Week, Fun Day, and Christmas Carols, to name a few. We encourage all students to actively participate in all events, as they provide valuable experiences and create lasting memories and there is always a link between our activities and the curriculum, so while students are having a lot of fun and new experiences, they are learning.

To make the most of this term, it is important for students to be present at school and on time every day. Every day counts, and we want to ensure that our students do not miss out on any learning opportunities. It would also be appreciated if every effort can be made to avoid early pick ups because we really need our students to be here so they don't miss important class time. Good attendance also promotes good habits for life and we all know the importance of being on time and showing up.

This term we have started a new attendance data wall. We will be tracking student attendance as we are below the state average. This has a huge impact on learning and we need students to be at school so they don't miss vital classes. We are going to track the absences everyday for each and every child. When absences are Unexplained, parents will be informed and this will be recorded on Compass. We will also be celebrating excellent attendance for the students who don't miss any days. At the end of each month, at assembly, we will randomly select students with 100% attendance, who have been on time everyday, and they will receive a certificate.

Days Absent in a Term
0 - 3 days	This is within the normal range. A child with this attendance rate is able to take full advantage of the teaching and learning opportunities to them.
4 - 5 days	This attendance rate is below average. A child with this attendance rate could miss over one year of learning between prep and year 10.
6 - 10 days	This is a poor attendance rate. A child with this attendance rate could miss out on up to two years of learning between prep and year 10,
10+ days	This is a very poor attendance rate. A child with this attendance rate could miss over two and a half years of learning between prep and year 10.

At DPS, we enjoy good links with our community. Please be as involved in your school community as much as you wish to be. Students love to see family members involved in their education. Together, let's work towards the success of our students and make DPS a place where they can thrive. We are lucky to have such wonderful students and dedicated staff members, which is the perfect recipe for success.

School Captains for 2024 CurrentGrade 5 Students are invited to submit an application to be a School Captain in 2024 from Wednesday October 4th. Applications are due by October 20th. Applications must be handed in to the office addressed to the Principal. Interviews will take place on Thursday October 26th. Current captains will be involved in the selection process. Once decisions have been made it will be locked away and announced on December 7th at the Christmas Carols evening. This is always a very exciting announcement, so students are asked to put their best foot forward and stand up to be one of four leaders in 2024. As always this is a very difficult process as we have so many upstanding students, worthy of being leaders in their own right. but we can only have four captains.

Please watch out for updates on Compass and check the calendar regularly so you keep up to date with what is happenning. For example, this week we had the Art Exhibition and our Transition Evening for new Preps.

Thank you for your continued support, we are looking forward to a fantastic term ahead!

Regards

Jim Hill