From the Principal, Diana Ellis
Attendance Strategy
At Woodend Primary we are currently looking at implementing further strategies to improve school attendance and punctuality. Although we have seen an improvement with the strategies we have implemented this year, our data still says we are performing worse than other schools in our area and also in the region, in regards to attendance.
Why going to school is important
Research tells us that going to school every day is the single most important part of your child’s education. Students learn new things at school every day. Attending and participating in school will help your child develop:
- important skills and knowledge to help them learn
- social and emotional skills such as good communication, resilience and team work.
Children who attend school every day and complete year 12 have:
- better health
- better job opportunities
- higher income across their lives.
There is no safe number of days for missing school. Each day a student misses puts them behind.
Our expectations
Of course we expect your child to be kept at home when they are ill but we expect appointments (where possible) to be made outside of school.
Whilst we recommend family holidays to be taken during school holidays we do understand that not all parents get their holidays that align with those times.
Absences that are not acceptable and will not be approved are days off for shopping, birthday or because a child doesn’t want to participate in an event ie Lapathon.
Our school programs and activities are all encompassing and students do not get to pick and choose.
Accountability
We will continue to monitor attendance data each day and parents will be contacted for unexplained absences. We will also work with parents to provide support with management of getting their children to school.
Our revised policy will be communicated in the new few weeks once is it endorsed by School Council.
Lapathon
Yesterday we ran our annual Lapathon. It was highly successful thanks to the kind weather and the detailed planning from Ms Mann and the office staff. I would also like to acknowledge and thank the many parents that helped with the barbecue and also for all of those who came along to cheer our students on or participate in the event with their children.
The new course was a hit, and of course a big thank you to the church for letting us use their grounds). And of course the bubbles were a big hit.
Tug of War
To complete our Lapathon Day we have our Tug of War event. Each of the classes within unit levels get to compete against one another and then Year 6 students compete against the teachers. It was great fun apart from the fact that the teachers lost again. One of our particularly insightful younger students suggested that maybe if all of the teachers did the Lapathon they would be fitter and have a better chance of success (hmmm, out of the mouth of babes).
Senior Unit Presentations
This week students from our senior Unit have courageously delivered a comprehensive presentation to parents from across our school, to explain about all of the programs and activities that occur in the Senior Unit and our focus on developing leaders and Inquiry Learning. We are particularly proud of our programs, the quality teachers and the achievements of our students across all areas of the curriculum and also the work they are involved in within our community.
Cobaw Interschool Athletics Carnival
Today a bus load of our students have gone to Bendigo to participate in the Cobaw Interschool Athletics Carnival. This event is hosted by our school for all of the schools in the Macedon Ranges. It is a huge event and requires a lot of logistical organisation for Mrs. Connell. We have no doubt that our students will perform at their best and with exemplary sportsmanship.
Carlsruhe Fair
Although our Fair is not until November 30, behind the scenes the organisation is well underway. Yesterday we put up all of our advertising posters around the school and before long you will see the evolving larger scale marketing ideas.
Last night I had the privilege of working with 14 talented and engaged parents who have stepped up to be part of our Carlsruhe Fair Committee. A number of the parents have taken on important roles such as Marketing, budget, stall holders etc while others are a much appreciated support crew.
The Carlsruhe Fair is our biggest fundraising event and requires a huge amount of work to get it off the ground and financial support in the way of sponsorship. Often is is difficult to keep asking local businesses when they are approached regularly by many of our community groups. So we are putting out a call for your help.
We know that many of the parents in our communities work for large multi-national companies and we are hoping you might be able to approach your work for some donations or sponsorship. This would be greatly appreciated. If you can help in any way, please contact myself (the Principal) at school or Anita Mason from the Carlsruhe Fair Committee. (Anita 0407 409 575, anitajmason@gmail.com)
Book Week
Around the classes this week, the students have participated in a lot of fun and engaging activities related to the short listed books. One of the favourite books in the senior school was Shaun Tan’s book Cicada. During a session in Mr. Condon’s class, the students were communicating some deeper level thinking about inferred messages in the text and illustrations.
In Mrs. Megg’s Year 3 class they have shared their activities with me including:
- Reading the 5 short-listed books and completing an individual critique of each book.
- Completing a "Super Book Report" (see display in hallway) of our favourite short listed book.
- Entering a bookmark competition.
- Getting together as a Year 3 unit and doing buddy reading with someone from another class focusing on our fluency and expression
Reading with the Year 5/6 students.
Writing their own realistic fictions about a celebration from around the world. These pieces are going to be published, with the hope of reading them to the younger students.
JUNIOR SCHOOL COUNCIL NEWS
The Junior School Council would like to thank all students who entered this term’s Book Week Bookmark Competition. The selection process was extremely difficult as there were so many exceptional entries. The winners will be announced at this Friday’s assembly. Each winner will be presented with a certificate and a prize pack. The overall school winner will have their bookmark professionally made and this bookmark will be available in the library.
The Junior School Council would like to thank everyone for their support this year. We aim to run events which raise money for projects at the school (as suggested and voted on by the students) and events to raise money for a cause. The last event ‘Dress up as your Favourite Movie character’ raised $368.95 to contribute to the painting of games and activities on the netball court for all students to use. Our next event will be the Footy Colours Day, raising money for kids with cancer.
On the last Wednesday of this term (Wednesday the 18th of September), we will be celebrating our annual Footy Colour’s Day. On this day, students are invited to wear their favourite footy colours for a gold coin donation. All money raised goes to support kids with cancer. Students will be able to order a Footy Lunch Pack from the canteen (QKR ordering will open closer to the date) and at lunchtime there will be a ‘longest kick’ competition. Junior School Council will announce the winner of the longest kick and the amount of money the students have raised to help support kids with cancer, at the final assembly of the term.
Celebrating Book Week
It has been a big week at Woodend Primary School this week as we participated in activities over the week for Book Week.
The students were involved in reading the nominated Book Council books for their age group, reviewing their favourite books and competing in a competition to design a bookmark. The winning bookmarks will be professionally printed and available for use by students across the school. The winning designers will be awarded a certificate at assembly this Friday.
We have had Year 6 students read stories to students across the school which has also been exciting.
Book Week ends with teachers performing Guest Reading time in different classes across the school on Friday. The students are looking forward to seeing who their Guest Reader will be.
Thank you to the Junior School Council members and Miss Geer, who worked hard during the week to judge the bookmark competition and prepare the certificates for assembly. Thanks to all the Guest Readers and to the students who completed book reviews and entered the bookmark competition. Last of all a big thank you to Susan in the library who organised the Children Book Council Books and the Bookmark competition.
Debbie Thompson
Literacy Leader