SWPBS update

Wow - an outstanding achievement in the first 3 weeks of this year...together we received 469 value cards! That is a lot of instances of students following expectations and living up to our values. Bravo Newham PS!

Also...check out our newest addition to the value cards, hot off the press! We now have an Excellence card to acknowledge students showing upstander behaviours. We've been teaching students the steps of No - Go - Tell if they see problem behaviour. Why not ask your child to tell you more?

Over the next couple of weeks, we're choosing to focus on our end of recess and lunch procedure. This helps students to transition smoothly from fun play mode to sensible learning mode. It links in with the Kimochis phrase: "There's a time to be silly and a time to be serious." Our buzz phrase for this is Hear - Act - Line up. Check out the details we've taught the students below.

A big thank you to our School Leaders who are noticing fellow students following these

expectations, and nominating them for value card recognitions.

At home, you might want to develop your own buzz phrase for transition times like bedtime or getting ready in the morning. You could have your own set of steps to check off and lots of praise when they are achieved.

ATTENDANCE recommendations from DE (Dept of Edn.)

EVERY DAY COUNTS Going to school every day is the single most important part of your child’s education. Students learn new things at school every day – missing school puts them behind.

SCHOOL IS BETTER WHEN YOUR CHILD IS THERE

Top attendance tips for parents

* Schools want to work in partnership with parents – act early if you have any concerns by contacting your child’s school and asking for advice and support

* Remember that every day counts

* There is no safe number of days for missing school – each day a student misses puts them behind, and can affect their educational outcomes and their social connectedness

* Talk positively about school and the importance of attending every day

* Open and prompt communication with your child’s school about all absences is a good idea

* Avoid making routine medical and dental appointments during the school day or planning family holidays during the term

* Seek help from your school if you are concerned about your child’s attendance and wellbeing. Schools want to work in partnership with parents to support student attendance and wellbeing.

Why it’s important

We all want our students to get a great education, and the building blocks for a great education begin with students coming to school each and every day.If students miss school regularly, they miss out on learning the fundamental skills that will set them up for success in the later years of school.

Student Absences

The main reasons for absence are:

Sickness – There are always times when students need to miss school, such as when they’re ill. It’s vital that they’re only away on the days they are genuinely sick, and developing good sleep patterns, eating well and exercising regularly can make a big difference.

Family holidays - It's vital that holidays are planned during school holidays where possible, and not during the term. If you are planning to go on holiday during term time, make sure that you talk to your child’s school in advance, and work with them to develop an absence learning plan.

“Day off” – Think twice before letting your child have a “day off” as they could fall behind their classmates – every day counts.

Truancy – This is when students choose not to go to school without their parent’s permission. There can be many reasons for truancy. The best way to address this is for schools and parents to work together.

School refusal - School refusing children will experience significant emotional distress not only when going to school but also at the thought of going to school; they may be absent from school for weeks or even months at a time. School refusal differs from truancy as children generally stay home with the knowledge of the parents and despite their best efforts to encourage their child to go to school.

BEING AWAY FROM SCHOOL FOR ONE DAY A FORTNIGHT EQUALS MISSING 1.5 YEARS OVER 13 YEARS OF SCHOOL

If your child is away

If for any reason your child must miss school, there are things you can do with your school to ensure they don’t fall behind:Inform the school by calling 54270235 and leaving a message OR, enter the absence into uEducateUs.

SKODEL

As part of our ongoing commitment to student wellbeing, we are introducing Skodel. Skodel offers us a simple and engaging way to check in with students. By giving students an opportunity to share how they are going, we aim to achieve the following:

Build Stronger Relationships: By driving more meaningful conversations in our school community, we are able to build stronger relationships with students, families and our School's values and culture.
Identify Students That Need Support: It can be hard for students going through a challenging time to speak out. Our aim is to give students a medium they feel comfortable opening up on so we can best support them.
Encourage Self-Expression: We want to ensure each student has an outlet they feel comfortable with to voice how things are going. This helps students discover themselves and gives our teaching community a chance to get to know them on a deeper level so we can better support them through the tough times and share in the moments of joy and achievement.

Our first check-in with students will commence this term and we will continue to check in with them periodically after that. If you have any questions, comments or concerns then please feel free to share them with your child's teacher. For more information on Skodel, you can visit their website www.skodel.com"

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