Principals Report

Review of Student Reports

As a school we are looking to review and streamline our student reporting processes. It is vital that we provide reports that meaningfully give parents and carers an understanding of how their children are progressing in each course of study. Equally, it is well publicised that teacher workload is an ongoing issue, and the current reporting process is extremely time intensive. This is an area where we can make some tangible adjustments that provide for an informed approach whilst making a difference for our teachers.

Most importantly, we need to know what parents and carers value in student reports. We are looking to gauge the areas of information that are most important to our community to ensure that these are prioritised. At our upcoming parent teacher nights members of our administration staff will be conducting brief surveys of parents and carers, and this will be complemented with phone surveys. Once we have a clearer picture of what our community considers most important, we will consider what adjustments can be made to meet the goals we are setting.

Congratulations Donna James

As many will by now be aware, Donna James has been successful in her appointment to Principal of Kariong Mountains High School. This is a well-deserved promotion where she will make a positive difference to the Kariong and mountains community.

Donna has been at Henry Kendall High School for nearly 12 years as Deputy Principal. In that time, she has shown enormous commitment in the role and to our community. I would like to thank Donna for her leadership, educational knowledge, care for seeing the best in every student, integrity, and friendship. As a school we have been fortunate to have such a high quality and passionate educator as part of our leadership team over an extended period, and we wish her well as she moves into the next stage of her professional journey. 

Attendance

Across NSW there is a department wide focus on school attendance, and at Henry Kendall High School we are working to get our overall attendance back to pre-pandemic levels. Whilst it is improving, our overall attendance is sitting at 84%. 

However, our focus is on students attending greater than 90% of the time which is currently at only 46% of students. 90% attendance equates to missing one day a fortnight across the school year. This may not seem like much; however, it adds up to four weeks in total for the year. 

We are trying to raise expectations across our community in the importance of school attendance. In doing so we are also embedding positive attitudes towards attendance at work where regular absence may jeopardise employment.

We have also received a number of enquiries in relation to the difference between ‘Justified’ and ‘Unjustified’ absences. Our school Attendance Policy can be found on the school website, and I have taken the following extract from the policy:

Students are required to attend school every day that the school is open unless a valid reason exists. It is expected that for the majority of students an attendance level of  >90% will be maintained. 

Justified reasons for student absences may include:

• Being sick, or having an infectious disease
• Having an unavoidable medical appointment
• Participation in representative sports not aligned with the department
• Being required to attend a recognised religious holiday
• Exceptional or urgent family circumstance (e.g. attending a funeral)

Where an explanation is not provided within 7 days of the absence, the absence will remain recorded as Unexplained. This includes where an explanation is provided after the 7-day period.

Where parents provide an explanation for an absence that the Principal does not consider as acceptable, the absence will be recorded as Explained, however Unjustified. 

Reasons considered as Explained, however Unjustified:

• Going for driving lessons
• Sleeping in
• Missed train/bus
• Learning from home
• Not wanting to do sport
• Not wanting to attend sports carnivals
• Running late
• Could not find parking spot
• Parent could not get student to school as they were working
• School refusal

When a student demonstrates frequent absences or an unacceptable attendance rate, the following measures may be applied:

• Parent/carer requested to supply a medical certificate/s for long term or frequent absences cited as illness or medically related.
• Parent/carer meeting/s to develop an individual attendance plan.
• Part day exemption as a means of re-engagement.
• Student placed on attendance monitoring.
• Principal notification letters issued.
• Referral to the Home School Liaison program.

Fabulous On Track Show 2022

On Wednesday 17 May we held our 2023 OnTrack show at The Entertainment Grounds. This 2-hour live music show showcased the fabulous talent across the Henry Kendall High music program with an array of stunning performances. 

A huge congratulations and thanks to all involved in the event for 2023 – staff and students alike. It was a great audience turn out and they were treated to fantastic performances and the wonderful talent of our music students. The quality delivered was just outstanding and the buzz the students got from performing on stage in front of a live audience was palatable. It is always great to see the way that opportunities such as the arts can bring individuals out and give them a form of expression we often don’t otherwise see.

We were treated to several HSC performance pieces in development, Year 11 students exploring expressive pieces as they begin their HSC pathway, and some brilliant work from the junior school. Performances included classical flute, instrumental pieces, classic rock, contemporary genres, and an original work. Very impressive and it is exciting to see the depth of talent across our music program that will continue to provide such quality for many years to come. 

Particular thanks to Mr Walters and Mrs Gillard for their enormous work in preparing the students, and in organising and delivering the event. I’d also like to recognise the support of the many staff behind the scenes both on the night and leading up to it. 

Vaping Webinar for Parents

As part of our commitment to your child's wellbeing, we are sharing information about an upcoming webinar hosted by cyber safety experts, Safe on Social, that we think will be of interest to many of you.

This webinar, held on 25 May, will cover a theme that has been a huge topic of conversation, this year in particular - "Clearing the Smoke: Navigating Teen Vaping and Social Media."

As many of you know, vaping has become a significant concern among our staff and parents as we see children younger and younger being impacted. With the rise of social media, it is crucial for us to stay informed about the impact of vaping and the role that social media plays in influencing our children. As parents we know you have questions, but often don’t know where to turn. 

As authorities in their field, Safe on Social have a unique perspective on this topic and bring years of experience working with parents on how to navigate difficult situations. Any questions you may have about the topic can be sent to Safe on Social at info@safeonsocial.com and they will do their best to address them within the webinar.

We highly recommend taking a look at the webinar information and attending if possible.

Teacher Shortages

The teacher shortage across Australia is well publicised and has been impacting schools for several years. At Henry Kendall High School we have been able to manage with no vacant positions and have been able to access enough casual teachers to support our classes. However, like all other schools we are now finding it extremely challenging to find casual teachers to cover absent staff.

Although every effort is being made to provide face to face teaching, there are occasions that we are forced to provide only minimal supervision. To minimise this, teacher professional learning courses are being cancelled at the last moment to ensure our focus is on teaching and learning. 

Until recently this is a situation that we have been able to manage, however it is now having an impact. We will always prioritise your children’s education and I ask for understanding as we navigate a difficult situation.

Changes to reporting NAPLAN Results

From 2023, NAPLAN results will be reported against 4 proficiency standards rather than numerical bands as in previous years.

NAPLAN reports will contain 4 easy-to-understand proficiency standards: 

• Exceeding
• Strong
• Developing
• Needs additional support.

The new reporting standards will provide parents, carers and teachers with simpler and clearer information about how students are performing. The reports for parents and carers are expected to be released early in Term 3.

Taking an extended break

I will be taking leave for the rest of this term, and Natalie Wearne will be relieving as Principal in my absence. Mark Macdonald will take on the role of relieving Deputy Principal. I look forward to returning at the start of Term 3.

Andrew Backhouse

Principal