Principal's Report
Attendance
The cooler weather in Terms 2 and 3 is also associated with an increase in colds and illness and a drop in attendance. A small number of absences is fine if your child is too sick to come to school or they have an illness that can be passed on to others. However, in all other circumstances it is important to maintain regular attendance every day. If you are experiencing difficulty getting your child to school please chat with your child’s teacher or members of our Leadership Team as we can offer support.
Did you know, if your child is absent for a day of school each week during Primary School (Prep – Year 6), they will have missed nearly a year and a half of schooling by the end of their primary school years.
You can help your child get the most from their education by:
- making medical and other appointments outside school hours
- arranging family holidays in scheduled school holiday breaks
- knowing what’s happening at school to support your child’s interest and confidence.
If your child is absent from school it is important to tell us and provide the reason for the absence. This can be done via the Schoolzine app, texting 0419 583 998 with name and reason, phoning the school office, sending a note with a sibling or visiting the school.
Please be mindful that your child’s attendance is valued by us. Teachers or the leadership team will make contact if a child has unexplained absences. We may also ask for a medical certificate to explain extended or regular absences. In the next week we will be sending out letters to families with attendance less than 90%. The letter is just a reminder about the importance of attendance and offering support if needed.
Merit Certificates
Over the last week we have been reflecting on the purpose of our Merit Certificates based on some parent and staff feedback. Traditionally we have given these out in assemblies which means that only eight students or around 30% of students would receive one in a year and it is very possible that some students could leave Grade 6 without getting a certificate. Based on this we have come to the decision that we need to adapt our current model so that we are recognising more of or students for their efforts in enacting and modelling our school values. Commencing this term, we are going to be giving out merit certificates fortnightly in POD meetings that occur daily after recess. We appreciate that parents won’t be able to see their child receive their certificate, however, we feel that it is more beneficial for student engagement and motivation for us to make these changes. We will of course take pictures and acknowledge the students on our Facebook page and newsletter if appropriate.
Our school value this term is To Dream – a culture of high expectations and high achievement.
Parent Teacher
We will be holding our parent teacher discussions in Week 10 (21st-24th June). We will be using an online booking system for your convenience. Please see the link below or go onto our Schoolzine app. Please note, bookings open on 6th June and close on 16th June. If you do not have access to these platforms, please phone the school office on 64351114 and our friendly office staff will make bookings for you.
Parent teacher discussions are important as it gives teachers the opportunity to elaborate on your child’s progress and for you to ask questions. We encourage all parents/carers to make an appointment.
https://somersetps.schoolzineplus.com/view-session/4
TasTAFE Students
We are currently hosting 5 TasTAFE students who are doing their Teacher Assistant Work Placement. These ladies support a classroom each Wednesday or Thursday for Terms 2 and 3.
At Somerset Primary we are very supportive of being a part of future educators learning journeys and we hope you make them feel welcome.
Welcome to:
Sarah in 1A
Jan in 2/3
Stacey in 3/4A
Aimee in 3/4B
Jazmine in 3/4D