Recent Events and Happenings
The past few weeks have been a busy and exciting time at both campuses of our school. Students have relished the opportunity to participate in Winter Sports rostered games in Launceston, a Grade 5/6 sports exchange held at Bicheno PS, LiL Bounce and Play and Learn sessions, and the K-10 Cross Country carnival. Students have also participated in National Simultaneous Storytime, a 2 day Construction Safe Workshop held at the Break O’Day Trade Training Centre, an excursion to the Campbell Town Show, a Jon Madin Marimba and Wacky Instruments performance and an inspiring visit from 2021 Tasmanian Local Hero – Edna Pennicott, 2021 Senior Australian of the Year – Brian Williams and 2021 Young Australian of the Year – Toby Thorpe. These opportunities and experiences enrich the lives of our students and enhance our classroom learning programs. My thanks goes to our amazing team of teachers, and leaders as well as our wonderful admin team for their efforts in ensuring our students are able to access these opportunities.
Transition Update
Our Year 10 students have begun planning ahead for 2022 and beyond. Making decisions about a positive future can be daunting to many students. At St Marys we provide significant levels of support to all our students, especially those in year 10 as they prepare for the next stage of their learning journey.
This year will see some amendments to the regular transition programs with more opportunities for students to find out about their future study options much earlier in the year.
All year 10 students have a wide choice of destination schools for Year 11. These schools all offer a range of courses for students to enrol in. It is even possible for students to craft their own specialised learning pathway with enrolments across more than one site.
Detailed information about courses and enrolment options will be provided to all our Year 10 students over the next two months. It is important for parents to be involved in conversations with your children about their future options and help support the choices they make during this, sometimes stressful, period in their lives.
Please contact our Year 10 teachers if you have any questions.
Attendance
At St Marys District School we have a real commitment to supporting and ensuring students attend school. The information below highlights some important elements around attendance. Currently our school attendance sits at around 83%. We would really like this to increase to ensure all students are here at school and learning, to guarantee the very best outcomes in life for them. Higher student attendance at school is associated, on average, with higher student achievement.
Why is regular attendance at school important? Regular school attendance will mean that your child has a better chance in life. They learn better, make friends, are happier and have a brighter future.
Why must I send my child to school? Under Tasmanian law, you must make sure your child of school age is enrolled and attends school all day, every school day unless they have an acceptable reason. Illness, doing work experience or competing in a school sporting event are acceptable reasons for being absent from school.
The DoE Attendance Policy states “Consistent attendance at school is critical to achieving positive educational outcomes and keeping students engaged in their learning. Parents/guardians have a legal obligation to ensure a child is enrolled in and attending school or is registered for home education”.
Avoid keeping your child away from school for: birthdays, shopping, visiting family and friends, if they sleep in, looking after other children, haircuts, etc. Routine medical or other health appointments should be made either before or after school or during the school holidays.
What should I do if our family is going on a holiday in school time? You are encouraged not to schedule holidays during school time. If your family holiday is during school time, let the school know in advance and talk about what arrangements can be made for your child.
Do I need to let the school know if my child has been away from school? Yes, you must let the school know the reason why your child has been absent. If possible, advise the school beforehand.
Are you having problems getting your child to school for some of these reasons?
- won’t get out of bed in the morning
- won’t go to bed at night
- can’t find their uniform, books, school bag …
- haven’t done their homework or have a test or presentation to do, have an assignment to hand in
- watching TV or using other technology
- it’s their birthday
If so, a set routine can help
- have a set time to go to bed
- have a set time to get out of bed
- have uniform and school bag ready the night before
- set a time for daily homework activities
- speak about school positively
- be firm, send your child to school every school day including their birthday and the last day of term!
What should I do if my child won’t go to school? You should contact the school as soon as possible for advice and support. Every day counts – is your child at school today?
The following chart highlights the impact of non-attendance over time. Viewed in this context, the implications of regular absenteeism are startling. The chart shows the cumulative effect of persistent non-attendance over the period of compulsory schooling.
Days Absent
|
Total Days
|
Number of Terms
|
Number of years missed
|
1 day per week
|
451
|
9
|
2 years 1 term
|
1.5 days per week
|
676.5
|
13.5
|
3 years 1.5 terms
|
2 days per week
|
902
|
18
|
4 years 2 terms
|
3 days per week
|
1353
|
27
|
6 years 3 terms
|
5 weeks per term
|
1127.5
|
22
|
5 years 2 terms
|
Average 5 days per term
|
220
|
5.5
|
1 year 1.5 terms
|
Average 10 days per term
|
440
|
11
|
2 years 3 terms
|
Student Absence SMS
The main contact of the student will receive an SMS message if they are an unexplained absence.
Please reply to the message with the child’s name, date, and details of your child’s absence. Parents are required to explain every absence.
Parents have the option of calling or messaging the school to advise of explained absences. Can parents please double check that our school SMS number has not been blocked in your phone settings.To avoid receiving an SMS please phone the school on 63723900 to advise of your child’s absence before 9:00am
NAPLAN Testing
Over the past two weeks we have been conducting Naplan testing with our Grade 7 and 9 students. The tests have been on-line again this year and will provide students and the school with another data set to measure progress and growth for individual students and the school. We are very proud of the way our students approached these tests and showed commitment and focus to their learning. A huge thank you to Miss Smith for all the planning and coordination of these tests over the two weeks. It is a massive undertaking and her meticulous planning ensured everything ran smoothly.
Driveway Safety
A reminder to students when crossing the driveway on their way to and from school, be alert and aware of the dangers when in and around traffic. Also a reminder to parents to always be on the alert of students moving up and down the driveway area as they park and/or drop of and pick up their children.
The Australian Curriculum Review
Have a say in what your child learns.
All students from Prep to Grade 10 in Tasmanian schools are taught the Australian Curriculum.
The Curriculum is currently being reviewed and refined to ensure that it continues to be world class and best meet the needs of our students in our changing world.
Families and school community members are invited to contribute to the review. This is an important opportunity and we encourage you to visit the website and have your say in what your child learns.
The website is open from 29 April – 8 July.
www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/consultation
For more information:
Carolyn Watson
Principal