Relieving Deputy Principal's Report

Dear Parents and Carers,

It has been a very jammed-pack Term 3 at Oak Flats Public School which has included: NAIDOC Week celebrations, Southern Stars dance and Yanggaa Garaba performances, 100 Days of School celebration for Kindergarten, Premier’s Spelling Bee and Premier’s Debating Challenge, the Education Week Extravaganza with open classrooms and book parade, our successful sports competitions, mid-south and regional athletics carnivals, CoS Gala days, Stage 3 Transition to High School program, Tournament of Minds challenge, school discos! All the while students and staff have been hard at work in classrooms, the Digital Technology Lab, the Library and learning hubs completing class work, ILSP programs and Enrichment groups. It is very safe to say that we have ALL earned a holiday!

Tell them From Me Survey

Next Term students from Years 4-6 are taking part in the Tell Them From Me student survey once again. The survey will provide us with valuable feedback on what our students think about school life, how engaged they are with school and the different ways that teachers interact with them. Schools in Australia and around the world have used the Tell Them From Me survey to help them improve. The survey is completed online and is run by an independent research company, The Learning Bar which specialises in school based surveys. Staff in schools will not be able to identify individual students from their responses. To ensure confidentiality, participating students will receive a unique username and password. The survey typically takes 30 minutes or less to complete and will be administered by the school during normal school hours.

This survey will help our school better understand how to improve student wellbeing and engagement. It will help the school identify what works to improve student outcomes. Participating in the survey is entirely voluntary. Your child will not take part if either you or your child do not wish. If, during the survey, your child is uncomfortable, he/she can choose to stop the survey at any time. The majority of questions in the survey can be skipped. 

We will also be asking staff and parents to complete the Tell Them From Me Survey too in at the beginning of Term 4. We thank you for your support with the surveys.

Attendance

We greatly appreciate the effort that parents and carers have gone to to ensure that absences are explained promptly. We are also pleased to report that despite the recent flu season, our whole school attendance is tracking well.

Did you know that the Department of Education classifies students with less than 90% attendance as being at educational risk? It is incredibly important that students attend school each day they are well and able.

Please remember that following an absence, parents and carers are required to explain the absence within 7 days of the first day of a student’s absence. Absences can be explained via email, phone, replying to SMS notifications, or via a letter on return to school. After three days absence, a medical certificate is required.

Have a safe, relaxing and rejuvenating holiday!

Alice Wigny